This article discusses a long term study of children that looks at how boys and girls are influenced by their parents in their performance and interest in math. They found that girls' interest in math decreases as their fathers' gender stereotypes increase, whereas boys' interest in math increases as their fathers' gender stereotypes increase
(
Read more... )
Both my parents are scientists, both with PhDs in geology. However my father found full time research work in the field, whereas my mother (having just had myself and my sister a couple years later) couldn't get her foot in the door (it being the 70s and things not having quite advanced so far in equal employment stakes, even at certain universities). I suspect you need to be careful defining career housewife, as my mother, while at home, still taught Continuing Education course in her field and took to editing work for various journals.
WRT to the Math/science/english priorities, all were encouraged - any education was useful. And also, frankly, any scientist who can't communicate effectively isn't going to get anywhere anyway. This carried over into University majors/subject choices - it was the education and the demonstration of the ability to get it that counted. I have a BSc Hons and PhD in Astronomy, my sister has a BA in Religous Studies - incidentally she has the more masculine name....
School (also NZ) was public and mixed. You got used to there being more males than females in the class and just got on with things. Last 2 years of high school were disrupted more (in physics and English) by those males who stuck on just cause their 1st 15 rugby team were doing a trip to Aussie in the last year and they needed to be enrolled for that. You learned to be patient in explaining things.
How this relates to stereotypes? Not certain. Maybe it helps just not to acquire them in the first place. And if you and the people who teach you and encourage you don't use them, you might have a chance finding employers who don't use them either. Which I suppose comes down to being given the opportunity to make choices.
Reply
Leave a comment