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From: al885@cleveland.freenet.edu (Gerard Pinzone)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: SAT scores - sexist?
Message-ID: <1991Apr9.203133.2551@aero.org>
Date: 9 Apr 91 20:31:33 GMT
Sender: news@aero.org
Reply-To: al885@cleveland.freenet.edu
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
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Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
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Originator: nadel@aerospace.aero.org


Does anyone know of any good examples of why the SAT exams are biased
toward a male point of view? I have heard many feminists and cases about
it, but I have yet to see any examples. Most arguments point out that 
since women do better in High School and collage, this proves that the 
higher scores of male students on the SAT's make them sexist.

My only rebuttle is that perhaps male students generally take classes and
jobs that are "harder" than those generally taken by their female counterparts.
If you agree that a lot of proffesions such as the medical, science, law, etc.
are male dominated, you will have to agree the are historically, the ones
that are the most difficult. 

I am an engineering student and the ratio between nmen and women is extremely
lop-sided. It takes four years and a lot of brain power to graduate this
type of course. On the other hand, most of the liberal-arts type of classes
were quite simple in comparison. 

I am not saying women CANNOT do this type of work, I'm saying women are
choosing not to. I am also not about to give the reasons why. Whether
they are intrinsic to the female character or are purely placed by
society is a question I can't answer.


--
Just on the border of your waking mind, there lies another time, where darkness
and light are one. And as you tread the halls of sanity, you feel so glad to be
unable to go beyond. I have a message from another time.....   - ELO: "Prologue"
from the "Time" album -- Daicon IV Opening Animation    gpinzone@george.poly.edu