Harvard President resigns

[teancum79]

I think we live in a very screwed up society when a person is more or less forced to quit their job for saying something that does not fit the current popular agenda.


www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185565,00.html

[dianaholberg]

President Summers' resignation letter

I believe the differences go far beyond any statements he made. He speaks a lot of a sense of urgency for renewal... organizations like Harvard don't turn on a dime.

[Tara]

True.

[cenk]

teancum79 said:

I think we live in a very screwed up society when a person is more or less forced to quit their job for saying something that does not fit the current popular agenda.


www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185565,00.html

Do you know what he said?

He said in no uncertain terms that women dont do science subjects at university because of innate (ie scientific/genetic) differences between men and women. He made sexist/offensive remarks. He should be perminently censured.

[teancum79]

I did not see the speech, but I have seen research that supports the idea. What I find most disturbing is that at what many see as the highest or nearly highest school in the nation (if not world). If a person differs from the current political agenda they lose their job.

I am in no way saying that I think women are inferior to men. However in my study and personal experience I have noticed that some subjects tend to be easier for some people to understand. If there is a gender tendency for some subjects to be harder or easier to be understood that would influence (not control) the demographics of persons pursuing that major.

I am not saying that these biology is the only factor, but I think it is wrong to assume that biology has no impact on us. It has often been said that women are much better at multi tasking than men, and that men are better at focusing on a single topic. I've heard this from many people across multiple disciplines.

Men and women are different in every cell of their body and last I heard their brains deal with information in different ways. This could lend itself to different innate abilities. Remember we are dealing with general trends and not absolutes.

I chose to study sociology rather than Psychology. One of the main reasons for that was because it just made a lot more sense to me than psych.

If men tend to understand some complex mathematical and science things easier then women that would influence the number who choose to pursue those fields.

It is wrong to maintain unrealistic barriers between men and women it is also wrong to pretend that there is no difference.

[dianaholberg]

I agree, teancum. Personally, I've always walked the center line of tendencies -- my interests early on were mathematics and computers, so that was my degree. But I find no joy in that kind of work (only in the people with whom I work) -- and joy is important to me. So I put in enough time to be able to call the shots about how frequently I work, and now I spend a great deal of time at home and studying various things... I find a lot more joy in this. (And believe it or not, working basically half-time I made more this year than any year of my life... I'm not a "health and wealth" believer, but given where I was a year ago, that's nothing short of miraculous!)

I know several men who enjoy studying to the same degree I do, but few who enjoy being around their homes the way I do. Most of my female friends have done essentially the same thing -- working to earn the privilege of staying home... though most of them are moms -- students of human nature from a totally different perspective

[Tara]

I agree that there are differences. But I don't think that people should discourage others to do what they wish, even if it doesn't seem "traditional". (Not that I feel that is always the happening, but I think that people forget there is a middle ground, a grey area)

[cenk]

No cigar. There is no proof that women are genetically or biologically made in a way that results in them being less able to do maths and science. Afterall in the UK at least apparently more than half the doctors are women - correct me if I'm wrong but dont you need some kind of scientific ability to practise medicine???

[teancum79]

Ease of a subject does not mean another person can not. If you look around the NBA you would get the idea that being tall and Black helps a lot with the job. I am not aware of any law that prohibits a short white guy from playing in the NBA, but the fact that very few do tells me there is a reason.

I do not promote the idea of preventing people form pursuing a career or subject that is uncommon for their gender/race etc.

What worries me is that someone might go off and start requiring schools to have more women in certain areas that many may not wish to go into or deny a man a spot because not enough women singed up and they want to look good on some stupid report.

Some schools have had to butcher their sports programs because there where to many guys and not enough women playing. Well last I looked there where a lot more people on a foot ball team than a volley ball team. I know a ton of women who like their sports, but I know a lot more guys who are as if not more so into sports and to try and impose an unnatural equality on the genders is wrong

[Mestemia]

teancum79 said:

What worries me is that someone might go off and start requiring schools to have more women in certain areas that many may not wish to go into or deny a man a spot because not enough women singed up and they want to look good on some stupid report.

To late.
It has already become a reality. At least in Ohio where I used to live.

Some schools have had to butcher their sports programs because there where to many guys and not enough women playing. Well last I looked there where a lot more people on a foot ball team than a volley ball team. I know a ton of women who like their sports, but I know a lot more guys who are as if not more so into sports and to try and impose an unnatural equality on the genders is wrong

I agree.
It is sad that the world is so caught up in this gender war. It is something that every culture, race and religion has problems with. Some more so than others.