We have been discussing recent publications by academics arguing that math is a form of white privilege and male domination — often citing the relatively low numbers of women in the field. Colleges and high schools have made a concerted effort to get women to join the field, though a recent poster at Brigham Young University (BYU) caused a degree of confusion and an even greater degree of mirth.
One poster asked the reasonable question of “… is this satire?”
…is this satire?
It was not. BYU issued a statement that the poster was “done with good intentions but with poor judgment . . . The posters have been replaced with a more appropriate message. We very much value the Women in Math organization.”
As someone who has taught Math at the high school level, young women are interested more in applied math than in pure (abstract) math. Pure math is a solo-effort, whereas applied math offers opportunities for team play and social interaction. Women use math as a tool, whereas pure mathematicians develop tools. It’s quite natural to find gender participation skewed after high school. I find SJWs tiresome. Where is their concern that so few men are enrolling in nursing? Are the women who lead nursing organizations running a female-superiority system where men are disadvantaged?
Careful, pbinca. You saw what happened to that Google engineer who pointed out that women prefer opportunities that offer team play and social interaction.
In this Brave, New World, men and women are not allowed to be different from each other in any way.
No, and no again. So-called pure maths is a group effort; you just don’t understand the groupings.
Anyway, read one of the three biographies of Emmy Noether.
Actually, the poster is an accurate representation of women in math. It also shows why.
Or, could it be that math professors have low artistic skill? Both the men and the women?
We live unfortunately live in an era where many individuals are in a perpetual state of hair-trigger outrage. It’s not good for the heart–if they had any that is.
My high school math teacher was a female. Very exotic with blond hair & green eyes.
The math class was loaded. Got algebra, trig, geometry, calculus & 3 dimensional vector analysis. She did private tutoring also…..I got an A+
Jerry – my Geometry teacher was a former Teacher of the Year but had gray hair and took a no-nonsense approach to the subject. I mean, who doesn’t find math funny?
It’s a math thing squeekums- that would have been bon^2
(bon squaref – stupid phone keyboard!)
“though a recent poster at Brigham Young University (BYU) caused a degree of confusion ”
Do they offer masters degrees in confusion at BYU? Or just undergraduate degrees? Perhaps this poster was part of someone’s Ph.D. dissertation.
At Brigham Young? All of the above.
Hilarious! This is what happens when we try to pretend there are no differences between men and women.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
When it is mathematics, none but opportunity.
Emmy Noether
Ada Lovelace
…
David Benson & Squeeky – I am curious as to exactly what treats were on offer?
That’s OK. They identified as female for the purposes of this poster. Gender is fluid.
LOL!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
That was my first assumption.
That’s what I thought too. Aren’t those the rules these days????
They offered treats, what the devil more do they want? 😉
But what kind of treats? 🙂
David Benson – they are prevented from offering booze on campus. 🙂
At Brigham Young? You betcha.
Bons.*
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
*You know, the plural of “bon”, as in “bon bon.”
If they were trying to attract women, they should have specifically offered chocolate, not just the generic “treats.” Free chocolate cupcakes would have drawn every female within 100 square miles, lol.