Week Ten Blog
Mr. Summers,
I must say, I am quite disappointed regarding your statement on the lack of women in the scientific field. I do understand why you believe women would not have time to further their educations in the math and science fields; however, that is not an excuse nor is it the root of the problem. Women do not have the same opportunities men do to learn about math and science. Fausto-Sterling supports this with her claim that, “boys and girls learning together in the same classroom did not receive the same instruction,� (Fausto-Sterling 57-58). Even if a woman was gifted in these areas the older she became, the more discouragement there was. For example, Bublick was very gifted in math but after her second semester in college she dropped it because she felt inferior. Everyone else in the class, aside from one woman and Bublick, were male and majors in math, science, and engineering. Although you make a great argument, you did not support his case well with resources or stating the other sides’ point of view. As a former president of Harvard University, I would like to think you’d recognize that correlation doesn’t imply causation, however, you failed to do so with your use of statistical evidence. You failed to mention the barriers against women today and rather blame it all on their inability to work eighty-hour weeks due to biological clocks. Next time you state an argument, please do us all a favor and research properly, noting every aspect of the issue.