[comp.society.women] women at the technical core

eugene@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Eugene Miya) (06/22/88)

Marla Parker makes some good points about women and the technical core.

I believe we have a responsibility to encourage young women to
seek technical career paths, then go into management.  There is
a current movement afoot to accelerate their placement into management
positions.  Unfortunately, the current flood of MBAs (and Lawyers
to a lesser extent) who understand nothing about the products, sevices,
and research their firms do is appalling (this is gender independent).

Women must overcome the stigma of "math anxiety," stereotypes of
science and technology, parents must encourage their daughters
to get into these fields.  This need goes beyond men and women
to our nation's competitiveness and ways of life [did I just hear a fife?].
We need inventors, scientists, developers, engineers (none of these
exclusive of the other).

--eugene miya
,.

ps@ucsd.edu (06/23/88)

In article <11231@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> eugene@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Eugene Miya) writes:
>Marla Parker makes some good points about women and the technical core.
>
>I believe we have a responsibility to encourage young women to
>seek technical career paths, then go into management.  
...
>--eugene miya
>,.

I disagree strongly with this concept. Women are as varied in their
aptitudes, likes and dislikes, as men. Encouraging young women to choose a
particular career path, unless it happens to suit them as individuals, is
irresponsible. I know a lot of people, both men and women, who could be fine
managers but have no interest in any technical field. They will be happier
and more successful if they follow non-technical management paths. I really
enjoy programming and computer performance analysis. Even when I have been a
project leader I have prefered the technical aspects of the job to the
management aspects. Should I abandon a type of work I enjoy and can do well
in order to become a manager just because I am a woman?

eugene@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Eugene Miya) (06/25/88)

In article <11306@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> celerity!ps@ucsd.edu writes:
>I disagree strongly with this concept. Women are as varied in their
>aptitudes, likes and dislikes, as men. Encouraging young women to choose a
>particular career path,

I think I should clarify.  The encouragement is to get more female
technical people.  Secondarily, they should be encouraged at least as
much as men.  Likes and dislikes are assumed generally the same.

There are some feminists who believe that some women should be promoted 
on the basis of gender.  This maybe okay for insurance companies, but
in the age of technological competitiveness, this can be a mistake.
Non-technical managers over technical people is my big worry.  This
is why I would encourage young women early.

>Should I abandon a type of work I enjoy and can do well
>in order to become a manager just because I am a woman?

I'm not encouraging YOU to go into management.  I'm climbing down
the management ladder myself.

--eugene