Week Ten Blog
My problem with this speech began in the first paragraph where summers is speaking about the issue of women's representation in tenured positions and he states, "but because it's the only one of these problems that I've made an effort to think in a very serious way about." He basically discredits himself by saying this is the only area he's taken any measure to research and take seriously. Bublick also questions his credibility based on the fact that he uses his daughters as an example, a trip, and conversations with other men in positions similar to his. He is the president of Harvard and his research should be a little more in depth than just what he has experienced. He should be speaking to women who are qualified for those higher positions but aren't actually in those positions as to why they weren't able or don't want to work in those positions.
Summers makes the arguement that women don't want these positions because they are 80 hour per week jobs. He says they aren't able to because of family issues etc. But he also talks about how the university does not provide child care. No daycare is going to provide 80 hours of child care every week. So yes the woman could probably afford it, but it still wouldn't work. So unless her husband is willing to stay home and take care of the kids she really can't take that job. One person listening to the speech brings up the point that white men aren't the leaders in science and mathematics but immigrants are. Summers responds by saying, "fact is that people want control of their lifestyles, people want flexibility, they don't want to do it." That is true, and if the men don't even want to do it, why would the woman who has more responsibilities at home? We read other articles that stated women work many more hours than men if you include the work done at home. So basically the only way a woman can work these jobs is if she's single or her husband is willing to stay home and watch the children, and that isn't common.
Another aspect of Summers speech was that men are better than women in the math and science fields. I think he's correct in saying that, but not because women aren't able, but because they haven't been taught in the same respect men have. Bublick talks about a music teacher named Shinichi Suzuki who stated, "talent is not inborn but nurtured." A father isn't likely to take his daughter with him to go fix a car, but those types of questions are used on the ACT or SAT. In that situation a man would be more likely to answer correctly. But had the woman been taught from a young age about similar things, she would also know. Bublick also talks about a math class she took in college and there was only one other woman besides herself. Had there been more women she would have been less intimidated and stayed. I believe the more women that are in the field, the more there are likely to follow.