03-09-2003, 03:05 AM
If memory serves, Polynesians are among the few who actually had female leaders on a consistent basis. Maybe THEY are the ones who should be applauded as models of the modern feminine status.
As for certain fields being "male-only", it's partly due to biology, and partly due to mentality. The women see men in there(and very few women), and automatically think "old boys' club"(and some may or may not be discouraged by this point) For the biology part, it is a well-known fact that male and female brains are somewhat "different" at interpreting identical situations. It is generally accepted that females are better at language-related fields in general(having about 5 "areas" in the brain devoted to it, as opposed to the male's 1) while males are generally better at analytical/mathematical subjects(which is what most of engineering is about) My experience in school bears out the theory. 95% of the population followed the status quo(that is, 95% of females and 95% of males were better in the fields that the theory above said they were better in, seldom needing much study for those fields, and cramming like crazy to get good grades in the other) The remaning 5% were split between "hopeless cases"(those who generally sucked at everything except perhaps phys. ed) and "genius"(able to grasp most things in under 5 readings) I mostly slept through my tests, and finished with only 2 failures out of 7 subjects(mother tongue and art) and a 65%++ average for the remainder, with 70%+ in English. So what does that make me? :P
Oh well, I hope that story was at least "entertaining", even if not informative. :P
As for certain fields being "male-only", it's partly due to biology, and partly due to mentality. The women see men in there(and very few women), and automatically think "old boys' club"(and some may or may not be discouraged by this point) For the biology part, it is a well-known fact that male and female brains are somewhat "different" at interpreting identical situations. It is generally accepted that females are better at language-related fields in general(having about 5 "areas" in the brain devoted to it, as opposed to the male's 1) while males are generally better at analytical/mathematical subjects(which is what most of engineering is about) My experience in school bears out the theory. 95% of the population followed the status quo(that is, 95% of females and 95% of males were better in the fields that the theory above said they were better in, seldom needing much study for those fields, and cramming like crazy to get good grades in the other) The remaning 5% were split between "hopeless cases"(those who generally sucked at everything except perhaps phys. ed) and "genius"(able to grasp most things in under 5 readings) I mostly slept through my tests, and finished with only 2 failures out of 7 subjects(mother tongue and art) and a 65%++ average for the remainder, with 70%+ in English. So what does that make me? :P
Oh well, I hope that story was at least "entertaining", even if not informative. :P