Women and Math - musings
I've always had a love/hate relationship with math. I've always kind of struggled with math and science, so much so I took the bare minimum in college to get out of the requirement. I was always much more focused on my major, and the hours I'd spend at the theatre.
So I came out of college and was thrust into the real world without much practical math. I figured it out, as you have to just to live your life. Yesterday, one of my flist wrote a useful essay on her own expereince with math and the belief she was no good at it. And could honestly say "I don't do math" and not feel there was anything wrong with that but there should be. So you can go here, to read someone being way more eloquent on the subject than I can be. But I agree with her. We should not, as women (those of us who are), be complacent about math in our lives and blithely assure those around us "oh, no, I don't do math." Yes, actually, we do do math. Everyday. I'm not talking fancy math, like calculus or even algebra. Just simple stuff.
Can you calculate your state sales tax (for instance, you know that 5% sales tax means for every dollar you spend on a taxable item, you will pay an additional five cents in tax)? Do you keep an approximate running tally when you grocery shop? Balance your checkbook? Make change? Know how to figure out ten percent of whatever amount? This is not hard to do, and some other useful math it is not hard once you've been given the tools.
So, yes, ladies, we can "do" math.
So I came out of college and was thrust into the real world without much practical math. I figured it out, as you have to just to live your life. Yesterday, one of my flist wrote a useful essay on her own expereince with math and the belief she was no good at it. And could honestly say "I don't do math" and not feel there was anything wrong with that but there should be. So you can go here, to read someone being way more eloquent on the subject than I can be. But I agree with her. We should not, as women (those of us who are), be complacent about math in our lives and blithely assure those around us "oh, no, I don't do math." Yes, actually, we do do math. Everyday. I'm not talking fancy math, like calculus or even algebra. Just simple stuff.
Can you calculate your state sales tax (for instance, you know that 5% sales tax means for every dollar you spend on a taxable item, you will pay an additional five cents in tax)? Do you keep an approximate running tally when you grocery shop? Balance your checkbook? Make change? Know how to figure out ten percent of whatever amount? This is not hard to do, and some other useful math it is not hard once you've been given the tools.
So, yes, ladies, we can "do" math.