Girls in Engineering- Comic that explains it all

[The Cyborg]

I completely agree with the message that this comic is putting out there. I've always hated the stereotypes that people are put into just because they are born the way they are, male or female.

I was an oddball child who enjoyed Transformers and Dinosaurs more than Barbies and Ponies, but I've always tried to hide my interests from others in fear of being rejected because I like things that girls aren't really associated with.

This comic basically hits the nail on the head about how I feel on this subject. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

[kstl99]

I always dislike it when McDonalds asks if you want a boy or girl toy with a Happy Meal. I always answer with the type of toy instead.

I have noticed after working in engineering for the past 15 to 20 years that it is quite true that there are very few females in engineering but I am encouraged that the percentage is so much higher in FIRST.

[Jack Jones]

I think the conclusion is based on a false premise. It’s not the toy that makes the boy. Have you ever seen what happens when you light a Barbie on fire, or strap her to a cherry bomb, or tie her to a railroad track? If you personify the doll and make it your friend, then you would be less likely to go into engineering than someone who sees it as a few ounces of plastic in a humanoid shape that’d make for an interesting projectile. It’s as simple as that.

If "society" expects all girls to be sugar and spice and all boys to be snakes and snails, then that’s their hang-up. If you buy into that, then the hang-up is yours.

[Cynette]

That is great! And it gives a hint that the problem is not in the selection of the toys, but in the explanation of what can be done with the toy.

I happen to like dolls. We are encouraging free play and the use of imagination by offering the doll as a doll, but maybe we need to be more focused in our suggestions. But not in the same focus as the current marketing of dolls, who have a specific career or purpose - mostly superficial. You don't have to get as far as torching the thing (Jack ), but since my brothers did routinely love to pull off their heads, I had the opportunities to learn how they were put together and what household items I could use to recreate the factory built system. How about designing clothes for them? That teaches spatial relations - how do you turn this flat piece of material into a three dimensional object that fits the doll. Sewing, especially following a pattern and the accompanying directions, is engineering technology at its finest! (And it comes in handy when building bumpers and assorted field components.)

One of the things I actually found most fascinating about the cartoon was that the ad in the sidebar was for Jenny Craig, reminding me that I could lose 20 lbs for $20. So now that the cartoon suggests why there are fewer "girl" engineers, the ad beats down once again on the self esteem - even Valerie Bertinelli can't be happy unless she is thin. And looks like Barbie.

[IKE]

I was given and played with a Cabbage Patch Kid when I was younger. By 2nd grade, the guidance counselor had diagnosed me with "the knack". By that age, I knew I wanted to make the machines that made the toys. I am sure my dad wasn't thrilled that his son was playing with a doll, but he never told me otherwise. I did get to work on tractors more than my sisters, but that was only because I was more interested (both of them had to learn how to operate the tractors, bailers, mowers...). I am not saying marketing doesn't play into the genderfication of toys and thus careers, but I will say it isn't the only thing.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

I think the conclusion is based on a false premise. It’s not the toy that makes the boy. Have you ever seen what happens when you light a Barbie on fire, or strap her to a cherry bomb, or tie her to a railroad track? If you personify the doll and make it your friend, then you would be less likely to go into engineering than someone who sees it as a few ounces of plastic in a humanoid shape that’d make for an interesting projectile. It’s as simple as that.

If "society" expects all girls to be sugar and spice and all boys to be snakes and snails, then that’s their hang-up. If you buy into that, then the hang-up is yours.

I have to agree with Mr. Jones here. I personally think at this point the divide is more based on perception than fact. Yes males dominate engineering fields but not because it is some big secret plot against women. I rarely hear a person saying that women are incapable of engineering (I say rarely because there ARE still people who think that but they are in the same boat as the people who think the world is flat). Women aren't in engineering in larger numbers because, in a lot of cases, they simply don't want to be. You don't hear people worrying about there not being enough male nurses*. What about female construction workers? Remember, there are distinct differences in how male and female brains are wired. I know it is great to think that everyone is created equal but it simply isn't true. Some people are simply not meant to be engineers. If they still decide they want to then more power to them but life would suck without the writers of the world.

I'm not saying women shouldn't be engineers, just saying that maybe there is a reason women don't go into engineering more.



*This is a stereotype and I have no numbers to back it up.

[JaneYoung]

Understanding that it is important to capture the idea very quickly in a comic, I almost feel that it is missing the point. It does achieve the goal of recognizing that the lack of diversity in the engineering field is a problem but – how it arrives to that goal feels dated and narrow.

The struggle for girls’ attention lies in the homes, the schools, the communities they grow up in, and in the media. The recognition and validation of the child’s worth and intelligence is at the heart of this. How many television shows center around the imagination and exploration of the child’s mind, curiosity, and creativity? How many shows showcase the opportunities to build, construct, design, or develop ideas and programs?

A girl doesn’t have to be a boy or think like a boy to be an engineer or scientist. She can be very capable of finding the balance between the analytical approach to problem solving and the nurturing tendency to want to improve and make things better. So can a boy. It doesn’t have to be either/or – it can be discovering, experimenting, encouraging some risk taking in finding solutions to problems and working with the results. Cynette provides an excellent example of this with working through challenges created by her brothers’ removal of her Barbie’s hair and with creating wardrobes.

I was a child who created play villages out of dirt, water, rocks and sticks. My favorite part was building levels of the village and making roads. Finding raw materials to create smooth roads that also provided an effect that was pleasing to the eye and showed attention to detail was what held my interest. My parents provided space, time, and freedom for that activity to occur, summer after summer. Sometimes, my brother would offer suggestions and assistance. We worked together on my villages, sometimes peacefully, sometimes with deep arguments regarding which way the road should turn and if we should dig into the side of the hill for more levels. Often, the arguments reached compromise or agreement and the building continued. Rarely did things come to a halt because of disagreements. My Barbies were safe and sound in their special suitcase with all of their lovely outfits that my mom made for them – ready for some playtime when I finished enjoying the freedom of building and designing villages outside. During high school and college, I found myself involved in building large props for musicals and plays, working as a light tech, and a sound tech while occasionally taking on acting roles in the various productions. I found the acting boring because I liked all of the equipment and how it made things work and look.

When my son got involved in a robotics team, it was one of the first programs for students that made a whole lot of sense to me, providing an opportunity to combine and develop many skills in many areas – not just the technical ones but areas of communication, marketing, and team building. Much like building a village involving lots of levels.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

The struggle for girls’ attention lies in the homes, the schools, the communities they grow up in, and in the media. The recognition and validation of the child’s worth and intelligence is at the heart of this. How many television shows center around the imagination and exploration of the child’s mind, curiosity, and creativity? How many shows showcase the opportunities to build, construct, design, or develop ideas and programs?

I'm going to quote myself here, please bear with me.

If you substitute exploration with the word, exploitation, then you are moving pretty close to the core of the images and demands that bombard society's senses hourly, non-stop, and rapid-fire, today. And therein lies a large part of our problem in a lot of areas. When learning, exploration, and adventure become a part of each child's daily life - then we will be moving in a direction that will ease our diversity dilemma and others.

Jane

[GaryVoshol]

My daughter can probably give you better insights, but I'll try.

She was on an all-girls FLL team starting about 10 years ago. They often heard comments like, "All girls?" "No boys?" "Where's the boys?" They were much too gracious to say, "Why, don't you think girls can do it?" BTW, they were invited to the World Festival pilot at Disney, and World Festivals at Houston and Atlanta. And they had a good answer to that last question: the boys were at home because their team dissolved after the first year, when they all "knew best" and they couldn't compromise.

In HS, she was able to go to several "Women in Engineering" events and camps. The ones she liked best were those that DID engineering; the ones she liked least were the ones that told girls they were powerful, they could do anything they set their minds to - because she knew all that. She didn't want to hear it again, she wanted to do things.

Susan Lawrence, an FRC regional director, has some very interesting stories about her mentor who was the first woman admitted to her engineering school. Thankfully we're far beyond that!