Blog Ten
Dear Mr. Summers,
As the president of a prestigious institution such as Harvard, I would have expected a much more intellectual and fair approach when discussing the issue of how women are represented in science and engineering at top universities and research institutions around the country. I know you sought to retract your evidently sexist statements but nonetheless, your thoughts still remained and the opinion you possessed is clearly something that needs to be addressed so that others will not also think that women are poorly represented in higher institutions by actions of their own free will. It was unfair that you said that women don’t want time consuming jobs because they are more preoccupied with being mothers.
This statement is much too broad and not true for all women. In fact some one is extremely ambitious in the work force and seeks to have full time jobs. You seem to have overlooked all the other individuals and families who are outside of the norm such as stay at home dads or single women or childless couples. The author Bublick, who counteracted your speech, gave evidence to further support how you made an unfair and narrow minded view of women. She pointed out that the stereotype of women just as stay at home moms rather than a capable working force is actually a detriment to why people think women are not developed for the work force. People need to understand that thinking of women as nothing other than mothers is a concept of the past. She basically said this view of women is at the core of why women are discriminated in the work force and higher institutions.
And another thing Mr. Summers that you stated which seemed completely preposterous is that women do not want to work their way into the workforce enough to be seen. How are you to know how much a women or even a man for that matter desires to be successful in their work or academic community? Bublick also counters your argument by looking to Kimberlee Shauman at UC-Davis, who said that desire to achieve doesn’t ensure their position within the community. Even though you may believe that desire correlates along with success, this is not true because a person can want something more than anything in the world and not be able to achieve it. So maybe next before you take such a sexist approach you will seek to understand modern society better and try to get to know that women are not incapable nor laid back about their work or academic careers.
Sincerely,
Justine