dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaShould there be more women in science and engineering?
| Authors | Mathieu Bouville |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0611089 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611089 |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11948-007-9038-1 |
| Journal | Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 14, p. 279 (2008) |
Abstract
Many people hold this truth to be self-evident, that there should be more female students in science and engineering. Typical arguments include possible benefits to women, possible benefits to the economy, and the unfairness of the current female under-representation. However, these justifications are never explicitly and thoroughly presented. Clearly stating and scrutinizing them, we show that they in fact have logical flaws. When made consistent, these arguments do not unconditionally justify enrolling more women in scientific disciplines. In particular, what women want must be taken into account. Outreach programs towards K-12 girls must therefore purport to allow them to choose a field freely, rather than try to draw as many of them to scientific disciplines as possible. This change of mindset must be accompanied by a close examination of the purpose and effects of these programs. Keywords: female students, higher education, university, ethics, policy, outreach programs, minority students
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"abstract": "Many people hold this truth to be self-evident, that there should be more\nfemale students in science and engineering. Typical arguments include possible\nbenefits to women, possible benefits to the economy, and the unfairness of the\ncurrent female under-representation. However, these justifications are never\nexplicitly and thoroughly presented. Clearly stating and scrutinizing them, we\nshow that they in fact have logical flaws. When made consistent, these\narguments do not unconditionally justify enrolling more women in scientific\ndisciplines. In particular, what women want must be taken into account.\nOutreach programs towards K-12 girls must therefore purport to allow them to\nchoose a field freely, rather than try to draw as many of them to scientific\ndisciplines as possible. This change of mindset must be accompanied by a close\nexamination of the purpose and effects of these programs.\n Keywords: female students, higher education, university, ethics, policy,\noutreach programs, minority students",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0611089",
"authors": [
"Mathieu Bouville"
],
"categories": [
"physics.soc-ph",
"physics.ed-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1007/s11948-007-9038-1",
"journal_ref": "Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 14, p. 279 (2008)",
"title": "Should there be more women in science and engineering?",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611089"
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