Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!agate!tron@tc.fluke.com
From: tron@tc.fluke.com (Peter Barbee)
Newsgroups: comp.society.women
Subject: Re: Countering discrimination your children will face
Message-ID: <12985@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 3 Aug 88 16:45:13 GMT
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I'm not sure I understand this talk of encouraging our daughters
into technical versus other fields.  Are we expecting our
daughters to right the wrongs of past generations?  Isn't
that a big load?

When I was in school, especially through high school, I was
*expected* to get excellent grades in math and science.  Anything
else was not acceptable.  Of course my sister was too and now
she is the one getting her Phd in math while I just have a BSME.

It seems (to me) that what we need to do is destroy the myth
that females aren't good at math (and other technical/science stuff)
by virtually demanding good performance - the same that we
(or at least some) do with males.  I don't think anyone should
be "encouraged" into a particular field, we need to support with
our encouragment whatever filed is chosen.  

Why should we treat young women different than young men?

Peter B