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From: buckley@sbcs.UUCP (Gael Buckley)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.sci
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Why are there so few [female|black] physicists?
Message-ID: <145@sbcs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 13-Jul-86 19:57:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: sbcs.145
Posted: Sun Jul 13 19:57:54 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jul-86 00:48:40 EDT
References: <1970@brl-smoke.ARPA> <320@rtech.UUCP> <2064@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Organization: Computer Science Dept, SUNY@Stony Brook
Lines: 34
Xref: linus net.women:10778 net.sci:890

>  If a professor implies that your sex should
> not be in his class, then perhaps you've made a mistake in
> attending that university (try complaining to the management, or
> attend anyway and learn the subject in spite of the professor;
> many of us have had to do that, even when the only problem was that
> the professor was plain incompetent). 

Well, well, its pretty easy to be able to blame an incompetent professor
if the whole class agrees, but if there's only a few of the discriminated
subclass distributed within the class, and one or two of this subclass isnt
being treated as the general class is, it takes a PRETTY STRONG personality
to blame the prof rather than the individual.  I have heard my women fellow
students assume they ask stupid questions because the prof never acknowledged
their hands.  The smartest women knew what was going on, the mid-curve
students felt bad about themselves.  The mid-curve males didnt have that
problem, because their questions were answered.
> 
> On (3):  It is not proven that there is absolutely no *natural*
> influence of sex, race, etc. on profession.  Indeed, I can think
> of several possible natural causal correlations.  However, this
> is really beside the point, since even if we were smart enough to
> know all the factors, there is nothing that can be done to
> legislate a "natural" balance without harming individual freedom
> of choice. 

It is NOT proven there is NO natural influence of sex...????????
What is this, mildly guilty until proven innocent???!?!?!
I can conjure many OPINIONS why there are no blacks whatsoever in
any second level university computer sci. course Ive ever taught,
but I would PREFER to assume everyone is created equal (gee, I think
I have heard that somewhere before...) unless there are compelling
demonstrations otherwise.

Gael B.