Girls Vs. Boys

[Joe O]

First of all, you have 70 people on your team!?<edit> I will say that our team does have about a fifty-fifty split with girls and guys. We have two girls ... Ouch... Anybody have any tips for recruiting? At this point we'd be willing to take cadavers. Hell, a dog that could fetch the crescent wrench would be great. Now to answer the question, it is all in the social conditioning. When you say "robot" people think a) Battle Bots, b) Transformers or c) Mech Assault. Now think, which demographic are these aimed toward? It is by and large males. <edit> This of course is something that is unconscious, to say the least. But really, the word robots (as well as remote control whatever) is just marketed to males so they are more naturally interested. Basically, we need to androgenize our marketing schemes if we really want to androgenize the workforce.

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by Joe O

This of course is something that is unconscious, to say the least. But really, the word robots (as well as remote control whatever) is just marketed to males so they are more naturally interested. Basically, we need to androgenize our marketing schemes if we really want to androgenize the workforce.

It goes FAR beyond marketing. What toys did your parents get you when you were younger? How are are women presented in the movies, in popular culture? That is some of the basis for the institutionalized power that our society has for men over women, and some of the basis for the institutionalized discrimination. Did your dad work and your mom stay home with the kids? You grew up with that as normal, so a women going to work rather then working as a mother is abnormal to you. You may not actively think that, but it is an intrinsic part of your worldview and so shapes your perception.

We don't need others to change to reach equality, we need to each understand and actively work against the stereotypes that we have ingrained in ourselves.

Wetzel

[nehalita]

Originally Posted by Wetzel

It goes FAR beyond marketing. What toys did your parents get you when you were younger? How are are women presented in the movies, in popular culture? That is some of the basis for the institutionalized power that our society has for men over women, and some of the basis for the institutionalized discrimination. Did your dad work and your mom stay home with the kids? You grew up with that as normal, so a women going to work rather then working as a mother is abnormal to you. You may not actively think that, but it is an intrinsic part of your worldview and so shapes your perception.

We don't need others to change to reach equality, we need to each understand and actively work against the stereotypes that we have ingrained in ourselves.

Wetzel

Yup, this is known in psychology as a Gender Schema (Wetzel described it wonderfully, he knows what he's talking about).

I must admit, I was encouraged to enter the field of engineering and that's why I am here. I was talking to my friends from the medical magnet yesterday and many of them said they didn't want to go into the field but their parents say so. When I talk about robotics, they say "wow that's so cool! I wish I could do that" and yet... what they don't realize is that they can (they are always welcome to our robotics meetings). So what's the gap between wanting to do it and actually doing it? For me it was intimidation. It's even more intimidating when you are in "foreign territory."

Example: I am an outsider female thinking about joining the robotics team. This is what's going through my head. "It sounds great but what's the chance that someone is going to hand me a wrench? Why would they even bother to explain anything to me? What if they just leave me behind because I'm not strong enough??"

Of course, this line of thought is far from the truth. I know the majority of the teams will reward any enthusiastic student with the opportunity to learn and work on the robot. But it's just that initial step! It's just getting up and saying "i want to do something!" It's simple for the more aggressive people but when you are meeting people who are all predominantly male... it takes guts!

What I noticed, after asking many people, is that word of mouth does wonders. If a girl can tell another girl that they actually do what they want and have a great time, what could go wrong? So this last note is a call to all you girls, SPREAD THE WORD! What do you have to lose?

[side note]: This topic has come up many times and it seems to be a topic that never dies. But I think this happens for a reason. That's why I still post about it and why I still voice my opinion. If one more person can be inspired by one of these posts, then I think it's worth it.

[Loki1989]

we have three girls on ou rteem all of them are going with us to our competition i think its because computers and the building are visualized to be guy things to do but the girls are just as capable at it as the guys are thats me thougght about it.

[KenWittlief]

if you look at the ratio of men and women in engineering, and in engineering schools, there are definately more male engineers in our society, esp the 'hard core' engineering fields like mechanical and electrical.

FIRST reflects this in most high school teams, but in some areas the girls who are interested in engineering are more likely to join a team than the guys are. I think because they see this as an opportunity to get their foot in the engineering door.

There are many teams where its 50:50, and some with more girls than guys.

[june_2008]

On our team we have several girls, but only two (myself included) participate in anything besides spirit/public relations/scouting. The other girls don't seem to want to get involved and that is frustrating to me, because it really is just as easy for us as it is for the boys. I wish that more girls on our team would be willing to get involved in building or programming.

[Jimbo5051]

Originally Posted by june_2008

On our team we have several girls, but only two (myself included) participate in anything besides spirit/public relations/scouting. The other girls don't seem to want to get involved and that is frustrating to me, because it really is just as easy for us as it is for the boys. I wish that more girls on our team would be willing to get involved in building or programming.

I totally agree. you no what all of these are good opinions as long as thy are not offensive.

[irishninja]

This is going to sound really sexist, and I don't mean it that way, but as a PR person and a male I talk to a lot of people about robotics, espeically incoming students. I get a lot more of "I could never do that, I'm not smart enough, I don't know how to do that" from girls than guys ( I get it from guys as well but less so). I always try to tlel everybody, guys as well as girls, that it doesn't matter. My team learns from osmosis. We just absorb knowledge. Id dint' know anything, and I'm still not the most technical person, but I know more than I did. I don't know what it is, maybe just societal impositions engrained in our brains that guys have to be one way and girls have to be another. But my team has about 1/4 team members are girls, and most of them are in PR.