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Except that example is a bit trivial. How about a harder example. Is it "disrespectful" to say that one of the reasons there are fewer women in engineering is b

Except that example is a bit trivial. How about a harder example. Is it "disrespectful" to say that one of the reasons there are fewer women in engineering is because engineering simply doesn't interest women? This is something that can't be "wondered about" out loud in some circles, including HN. I've seen threads get removed even when the comments on it seemed somewhat in good faith.

tasty_freeze 7y ago
Don't stop there. Think about why women are less likely to be interested in it. Think why that might be true in the culture you come from but is not true in other countries. Don't stop at proximate causes and try to find root causes.
Niksko 7y ago
It definitely can be discussed. The key is that you had to temper your assertion that the discussion was only 'somewhat' in good faith. Usually the discussions around these things aren't in good faith. Sometimes they're actually in poor faith from BOTH sides. Interpret this as 'people are fallible and bad at discoursing respectfully' rather than 'people don't want to discuss these sensitive topics'
krapp 7y ago
> Is it "disrespectful" to say that one of the reasons there are fewer women in engineering is because engineering simply doesn't interest women? No, some women finding engineering fields not to be a fitting career choice, in and of itself, is not controversial. But such arguments never exist in a vacuum, or without context. They typically lean into the premise that women are uninterested in engineering due to "innate differences between gender," claiming that women can't grasp mathematics or logical thought as well as men, or else implying that the women who are in these fields are only there due to gender politics. The conclusion we're meant to reach being that not only is the gender imbalance in engineering fields justified, it should be even greater than it is. The "inconvenient truths" people claim PC culture won't let them express are usually pseudo-scientific or naturalistic arguments that attempt to defend and justify existing forms of prejudice, and that's what becomes disrespectful. There are no such "truths" that don't diminish, harm or dehumanize some group.
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tasty_freeze 7y ago

Don't stop there. Think about why women are less likely to be interested in it. Think why that might be true in the culture you come from but is not true in other countries. Don't stop at proximate causes and try to find root causes.

Niksko 7y ago

It definitely can be discussed. The key is that you had to temper your assertion that the discussion was only 'somewhat' in good faith. Usually the discussions around these things aren't in good faith. Sometimes they're actually in poor faith from BOTH sides. Interpret this as 'people are fallible and bad at discoursing respectfully' rather than 'people don't want to discuss these sensitive topics'

krapp 7y ago

> Is it "disrespectful" to say that one of the reasons there are fewer women in engineering is because engineering simply doesn't interest women? No, some women finding engineering fields not to be a fitting career choice, in and of itself, is not controversial. But such arguments never exist in a vacuum, or without context. They typically lean into the premise that women are uninterested in engineering due to "innate differences between gender," claiming that women can't grasp mathematics or logical thought as well as men, or else implying that the women who are in these fields are only there due to gender politics. The conclusion we're meant to reach being that not only is the gender imbalance in engineering fields justified, it should be even greater than it is. The "inconvenient truths" people claim PC culture won't let them express are usually pseudo-scientific or naturalistic arguments that attempt to defend and justify existing forms of prejudice, and that's what becomes disrespectful. There are no such "truths" that don't diminish, harm or dehumanize some group.

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