To think societal conditioning has a big influence on women more often choosing to study Arts/Law/etc. rather than Engineering/Mathematics/etc.

[Hmmtheplant]

To think societal conditioning has a big influence on women more often choosing to study Arts/Law/etc. rather than Engineering/Mathematics/etc. I ask because I often end up in discussions with male friends/family members about the extent of the role of nature versus nurture in all of this.

Yes she was! Forgot that!

She was a mechanic, but not an engineer.

Yes she was a car mechanic. Did I miss a post?

Bitz and Bobs is a cartoon where the main character is a girl engineer.
DS has a top with her one - dark green, from the boys side of the shop. I was impressed as you hardly ever get girls on boys clothing.

I find it odd here that the title of “engineer” is conferred on lots of trades here (eg heating engineer) not just chartered engineers.

I had a discussion on exactly this topic with a male colleague this week (also Italian) who confirmed the appeal of vocational subjects for everyone on the Continent - engineering, economics, law etc.

I think in a lot of countries outside of the UK there is less of a view that university is a time to study what you “love” but rather a time to get yourself ready for your intended profession. I loved modern history at school & it was my best subject but when I studied that was a one way ticket to failing to secure a graduate-level job unless you took a second, vocational degree. Whereas here in the City, I have many colleagues of the same age who took History at university.

I also think there is a real U.K. specific ambivalence that if you struggle at maths or science, it’s because you’re intrinsically bad at them, not because it takes a lot of time to learn and absorb the concepts, so students tend to give up STEM studies early.

“I also think there is a real U.K. specific ambivalence that if you struggle at maths or science, it’s because you’re intrinsically bad at them, not because it takes a lot of time to learn and absorb the concepts, so students tend to give up STEM studies early.”

I think this is very very true. It was a long time before I realised that I could learn
Anything with time and good teaching. As you say, I just dismissed it as something I wasn’t good at and didn’t try

Only 4 pages of comments, it just shows that few people are interested

50 years since mankind set foot on the moon, plenty of Engineering stories on the internet
Jodrell Bank has become a Unesco site this year

Maybe to British kids, ethnic minorities have no issues with their girls being engineers etc

Only 4 pages of comments, it just shows that few people are interested

This topic has been discussed loads on MN in the past, certainly in the feminism section.

I'm 44 and I never felt pushed into or out of anything - although maybe that was the product of my really crap non-selective comprehensive education.

It's sad we seem to live in a world of celebrities

If we have disasters they won't save the world will they ?

Whaley bridge good example of team work & Engineering

Lots of types of Engineering

In my experience (as a female engineer), boys tend to have more natural interest in how things work than girls. This is then compounded in teen years, and girls aren't encouraged enough to adopt that curiosity.

I do some work with local schools on girls in STEM subjects and it's what I see more often than anything else.

It’s awful. I work in IT and noticed this photo of an event for IT workers. Can you see what’s wrong with this photo

Also, I attended a mixed sex school and found it to be of benefit to me. I was the only girl who studied electronics and pneumatics, and my technology teacher pulled some strings to get me sessions at a local engineering firm once a week too.

I saw a female truck driver the other day. It's a driving job, absolutely no reason why more females cannot do this type of job.
OK not Engineering

@Kitsandkids my DS went to football and there was one girl in the class. But the class doesn't need to change to accept girls.

My DS hated football, I think he might like dance, but I can only find ballet for 3 year olds. When I went past to have a look it was all holding your tutu and skipping. I'm not sure how they would incorporate a boy to the class. I'd like to find an activity he enjoys, he's not particularly liked anything, maybe he's too young.

As it goes I've encouraged a range of toys and DS has mainly been cars and how things work. He loves taking things apart. Although he has a play kitchen and does enjoy pretend and real cooking.

My friend won't take her son to football or an typically boy activity like that, as she says she hates it. So she doesn't want to encourage him