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Because chances are, she's not isolated from male teachers, and even if she is, the need to offer a relatable role model is more important to inspire and motiva

by GuiA 13y ago

Because chances are, she's not isolated from male teachers, and even if she is, the need to offer a relatable role model is more important to inspire and motivate her than the need to not isolate her from male teachers. Over the past 8 years, I've taught programming to people from ages 6 to 50, of all genders and cultural backgrounds. Female students have generally related more to my female colleagues, just like black students generally relate more to my black colleagues. Which is perfectly fine, and why you want a diverse set of educators in the first place.

JohnHaugeland 13y ago
"the need to offer a relatable role model is more important" My point being that I don't actually believe that people need to be the same gender (or skin color or etc) to be relatable as role models. I think making role models less demographically binned would be an important and positive step. . "Female students have generally related more to my female colleagues" Do you have any reason to believe that this isn't because every time they're getting started someone carefully creates that situation, as is being created here? Measurements are frequently measurements of effects, rather than of causes. . "Which is perfectly fine" How can you be sure that refusing demographic cross pollination by intent is not a negative thing?
- pron 13y ago
  I understand you personally feel this way, but research has shown that this is not the case, and I think it makes sense. It has been proven that our society is full of gender and racial biases, and to fight them we need to accept this fact so we can have a sensible plan of attack. Apparently we can't just make those biases disappear by wishing them away. It is easier to dismantle them by first fighting the symptoms. If you just tell people to ignore their biases, you will ask them to ignore their personal day-to-day experience, and that's asking a lot. It's hard for people to believe one thing if what they see around them goes against that belief. To change beliefs we must first change the experience.
belorn 13y ago
By adding such discrimination in ones search for role models, one deprive children a chance to meet any of the potential Richard Feynmans, Carl Sagans and Randy Pauschs that exists here in the HN community. All for what? a social experiment to fight biases with "positive discrimination"? The hope removing half of every possible role model is worth getting a female role model over a male role model? In the end its the parent that decide and it might be worth if there is already plenty of male role models, so long one is aware of the costs.

by GuiA 13y ago

JohnHaugeland 13y ago

"the need to offer a relatable role model is more important" My point being that I don't actually believe that people need to be the same gender (or skin color or etc) to be relatable as role models. I think making role models less demographically binned would be an important and positive step. . "Female students have generally related more to my female colleagues" Do you have any reason to believe that this isn't because every time they're getting started someone carefully creates that situation, as is being created here? Measurements are frequently measurements of effects, rather than of causes. . "Which is perfectly fine" How can you be sure that refusing demographic cross pollination by intent is not a negative thing?

pron 13y ago
I understand you personally feel this way, but research has shown that this is not the case, and I think it makes sense. It has been proven that our society is full of gender and racial biases, and to fight them we need to accept this fact so we can have a sensible plan of attack. Apparently we can't just make those biases disappear by wishing them away. It is easier to dismantle them by first fighting the symptoms. If you just tell people to ignore their biases, you will ask them to ignore their personal day-to-day experience, and that's asking a lot. It's hard for people to believe one thing if what they see around them goes against that belief. To change beliefs we must first change the experience.

belorn 13y ago

By adding such discrimination in ones search for role models, one deprive children a chance to meet any of the potential Richard Feynmans, Carl Sagans and Randy Pauschs that exists here in the HN community. All for what? a social experiment to fight biases with "positive discrimination"? The hope removing half of every possible role model is worth getting a female role model over a male role model? In the end its the parent that decide and it might be worth if there is already plenty of male role models, so long one is aware of the costs.