Jobs for any gender

A survey from US News shows only 25 percent of science, technology, engineering and mathematics degree holders are women.

But anyone could simply scan a computer science class to see that men far outnumber the women.

You would be hard-pressed to find someone, particularly in a progressive environment like IU, who agrees there are “male” careers and “female” careers.

However, women continue to be underrepresented in STEM majors, and men are rarely seen in grade school classrooms.

The imbalance of men and women in certain career fields needs to be corrected immediately.

It seems that different subjects might be rigidly divided because different sexes have different interests.

It stands to reason that men and women will be influenced by society to pursue different careers. Different sexes may even be attracted to careers where they feel they will be accepted.

Women are typically perceived to have more developed “soft” skills that are highly valued in education and health care.

Men, on the other hand, are perceived to have more “hard” skills such as problem solving, which are more valuable in STEM fields. Whether or not one’s genitalia have any real effect on his or her skills, this distinction between “male” careers and “female” careers is fundamentally harmful to society.

Imagine a future where all products are designed by men, all classrooms are headed by women, etcetera. Engineers cannot do their jobs effectively if they are only considering the needs of men.

The same goes for teachers, health care workers and every other occupation dominated by one sex.

Diversity is an advantage in any workplace, and with so few women in technical fields, it seems many workplaces are severely lacking in this regard.

We can correct this imbalance.

Scholarships for minorities and affirmative action are among suggested remedies.

These ideas, if executed effectively, will bring more women to male-dominated fields and vice versa, but they will not fix the root of the problem.

We as a society need to stop viewing careers as “male” or “female.”

This imbalance will not be corrected until different sexes feel comfortable pursuing careers outside what is typical for their sex.

Recruiting more women into technology fields, while admirable, is only a temporary fix.
I urge you to take a course in which you know you will be a minority. It may be uncomfortable to see your sex underrepresented, but you will be adding value to the classroom with your presence.

I certainly wouldn’t mind more women in my computer science class.

­— johnfren@indiana.edu
Follow columnist John French on Twitter @John_M_French