Difference does not equal hierarchy.
I do not understand the instinct to rank things, to say that when two things are different, one must be better than the other. More often than not, what is considered better is a matter of personal preference (I might like vanilla ice cream over chocolate, but that does not mean vanilla is superior). More importantly, what is “better” is often very dependent on the particular situation (I prefer vanilla ice cream directly after a meal, but prefer more exotic flavors as an in-between-meals snack).
I will repeat: Difference does not equal hierarchy. So, please, dear reader, look beyond the surface implication of my next line.
Men and women are different.
Or, more to the point at hand: The numbers of men and women who like numbers are different.
In many of the mathematics courses I have taken here at the University, the male-to-female ratio is quite skewed, often hovering around 3.5:1 (in those classes which actually have female students). I am sure most departments have their own gender biases, but since I am a mathematician, I notice it far more so in the math department, and it troubles me. What makes math so unattractive or unattainable for women?
Unfortunately most of the debate surrounding this subject is too politicized: People either blame everything on sexism or attempt to ignore sexism entirely and neither ends up being a very satisfying answer.
When sexism is considered, arguments tend to focus on overt male-dominated control. These arguments shoot themselves in the foot from being too grandiose: They require the vast majority of males to be bigots and then fail to explain how any female mathematicians have succeeded.
When sexism is ignored, arguments tend to focus on biological differences. These arguments talk about differences between the sexes but not all of them say that differences create hierarchies. Those which do are often quite sexist themselves (even when they claim otherwise), and those that are not are assumed to be sexist as well (even when they truly are otherwise).
Some arguments purposefully invoke the “differences are hierarchies” mindset within a scientific frame. They point out cognitive differences between men and women: Men, they say, have better spatial and quantitative abilities, hence why they are more commonly mathematicians. But this line of reasoning breaks down because mathematics is far more than just spatial and quantitative; it might explain a greater number of geometers and analysts but not mathematicians in general.
One argument that rejects the “differences are hierarchies” mindset I heard from some female colleagues of mine. They noticed that when a math problem is given to a group of male students, hands will rocket into the air as soon as one person thinks they might have the answer. But when the same problem is given to a group of female students, there will be much more writing, much more communication between the students before a hand is raised. According to this line of reasoning, the reason why there are more male mathematicians than female is because males are rewarded from “participating” more.
However, this example shows that biology alone – like mass male chauvinism – does not hold the answer. It cannot just be a difference but a perception about that difference that is important (i.e. some form of sexism). So sociology as well as biology must be taken into account, but society has added many negative connotations to mathematicians. Society seems to treat mathematicians as an indulgence, as people who provide nothing and make nothing of use, as eccentrics and cranks.
As I was applying to college, my parents worried that I would not be able to support myself as a mathematician, that I would have a degree which would not get me a job. They encouraged me to consider an engineering degree, or any other option that would make my mathematical skills more financially viable. It took a fair amount of time to convince them that I not only wanted to be a mathematician, but I could be one. Despite many advances, certain jobs are still seen as not womanly, and I wonder how many women have been prevented from becoming mathematicians not because of a lack of ability, but a lack of support.
To me, the reason for the gender gap is somewhere between the extremes, non-hierarchical differences and societal expectations meshing together. Yet, research done by the Educational Testing Service indicates that the gender gap in mathematics is slowly yet steadily shrinking. Perhaps as time goes on, older, more hierarchical ideals die off as their believers do similarly, and more and more people realize that not only their sons, but their daughters too can become mathematicians.
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