Re:How Computer Science Became a Boys’ Club
by tzs on Sunday August 29, 2021 @12:39PM
(#28348193)
One thing I've never seen any research on is how much timing affects what fields boys and girls go into.
Girls generally mature faster than boys, both physically and cognitively. But the standard school schedule is the same for both boys and girls.
For me and the other boys I knew who went into STEM fields the school schedule fit well with our maturation rate. By the time we had enough school to start to be able to get serious about our STEM interests we were still immature enough to mostly do things as individuals or with one or two close friends. We still thought like children. Hole up in your room all weekend like an anti-social hermit trying to get a homemade radio to work? No problem for a boy at that age.
By that time the girls had matured enough to be thinking a lot more like adults. They were much more aware of the importance of group status and politics, and were spending the time we boys would have spent on individual nerd stuff dealing with advancing their position in the group. They didn't have time to be anti-social nerds like the boys did even if they were interested in STEM and had shown an aptitude for it.
Girls generally mature faster than boys, both physically and cognitively. But the standard school schedule is the same for both boys and girls.
For me and the other boys I knew who went into STEM fields the school schedule fit well with our maturation rate. By the time we had enough school to start to be able to get serious about our STEM interests we were still immature enough to mostly do things as individuals or with one or two close friends. We still thought like children. Hole up in your room all weekend like an anti-social hermit trying to get a homemade radio to work? No problem for a boy at that age.
By that time the girls had matured enough to be thinking a lot more like adults. They were much more aware of the importance of group status and politics, and were spending the time we boys would have spent on individual nerd stuff dealing with advancing their position in the group. They didn't have time to be anti-social nerds like the boys did even if they were interested in STEM and had shown an aptitude for it.