Math and Gender - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

kerry · #1 02-24-2010, 10:52 PM

Had a conversation with a colleague today which turned to the question of Math and gender. She's a mathematician as is her husband. She commented that math came quickly to her son whereas her daughter had to work much harder to get it. I commented that I had noticed a similar difference between my own experience of math in high school and my daughter's.
So is there some biological difference causing this? My colleague was reluctant to think there was but agreed that there are still way more men in her field than women and even in her own classes the typical balance of m/f in advanced math was 27/5. I said, that since schools have been consciously encouraging girls into math and science for decades, this is a paltry improvement so the problem must be deeply rooted and not likely to be just a social problem.

Skippy · #2 02-24-2010, 11:23 PM

That's a definite maybe. I know scientists have done some studies on this, but I don't think they've fully figured out what's going on.

t walgamuth · #3 02-24-2010, 11:24 PM

I have read that men are genetically better at math to a degree. Of course women are better at some things than men.

tbomachines · #4 02-24-2010, 11:54 PM

I don't know, math kicked my ass in college...all of my "tutors" were girls

BodhiBenz1987 · #5 02-24-2010, 11:58 PM

It's been suggested by studies that men are generally more likely predisposed toward math skill than women are, but, as with a lot of debates along those lines, there are many confounding factors (i.e., social influences).

My personal experience as a woman ... I was better at math than most of the boys. Here's a piece of minutia about me: Even though I'm an English major and a copy editor, I did 20 points better on the math half of my SATs than the English. At the time I entered college, I had zero interest in math, physics, engineering, etc., so I never pursued anything like that. I kind of regret that.

I will say, though, that most girls I knew in high school struggled with math, more so than the boys in general. Although sometimes I got the feeling they "struggled" because it was "cute" to "just not get it."

kerry · #6 02-25-2010, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

It's been suggested by studies that men are generally more likely predisposed toward math skill than women are, but, as with a lot of debates along those lines, there are many confounding factors (i.e., social influences).

My personal experience as a woman ... I was better at math than most of the boys. Here's a piece of minutia about me: Even though I'm an English major and a copy editor, I did 20 points better on the math half of my SATs than the English. At the time I entered college, I had zero interest in math, physics, engineering, etc., so I never pursued anything like that. I kind of regret that.

I will say, though, that most girls I knew in high school struggled with math, more so than the boys in general. Although sometimes I got the feeling they "struggled" because it was "cute" to "just not get it."

Your also a long time shop forum member so you and the Mistress, along with a handful of others are just inexplicable anomalies.

Skippy · #7 02-25-2010, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

My personal experience as a woman ... I was better at math than most of the boys. Here's a piece of minutia about me: Even though I'm an English major and a copy editor, I did 20 points better on the math half of my SATs than the English. At the time I entered college, I had zero interest in math, physics, engineering, etc., so I never pursued anything like that. I kind of regret that.

Interesting. My exerience as a man: I was better at English than most of the girls, and my SAT verbal was 80 points higher than my SAT math. However, I majored in Mechanical Engineering and at the time you couldn't have paid me to major in anything that wasn't engineering or hard science.

jt20 · #8 02-25-2010, 12:28 AM

as much as I hate saying this, I do believe the patriarchal societies to be responsible for the genetic 'weeding out' of these 'unfavorable traits'.

Women don't need to be good at math (a stereotypical misconception of yore). They have other things that require their attention. If a woman were to choose endeavors that did not require men, she would ultimately find herself unmarried and unable to present herself in the gene pool.

Those unwilling to play the game of the dominant ideology often suffer.

I think you will find, however ,that women are better counters in countries / societies where they are responsible for textiles. Weaving, in particular, comes to mind.

mpolli · #9 02-25-2010, 02:37 AM

My math tutor is a girl.

Ara T. · #10 02-25-2010, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jt20

I think you will find, however ,that women are better counters in countries / societies where they are responsible for textiles. Weaving, in particular, comes to mind.

Interesting hypothesis... but counting as related to textiles is a very simple form of math.. Kerry is talking of higher maths.

layback40 · #11 02-25-2010, 04:04 AM

Back before electronic calculators, mid teen girls tended to be better at arithmetic than boys, this was because many of them worked in shops & needed good arithmetic skills as there were no electronic cash registers. Boys appeared to catch up quick as we went from arithmetic to maths. Practical applications like measurement & acceleration/ velocity/displacement or calculus & Newtonian mechanics. helped the boys. Recently with programs to aid girls with non traditional studies has seen girls take over from the boys by the end of secondary schooling and beyond.
Failing english at high school didnt stop me from obtaining an engineering degree & a grad diploma of education.

Bodhi,
I am surprised at you gender! Good on you! You easily maintain your own with the guys on here & often are more than their equal!!!

lutzTD · #12 02-25-2010, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skippy

Interesting. My exerience as a man: I was better at English than most of the girls, and my SAT verbal was 80 points higher than my SAT math. However, I majored in Mechanical Engineering and at the time you couldn't have paid me to major in anything that wasn't engineering or hard science.

too funny, I am exactly the same. but I still hold hopes to write my breakout novel someday. My wife is an accountant and is far better at straight math, but theoretical math kicks her butt.

also seems to me women can see whats there and men can see what could be there. 3D visualization and theoretical math seem related so in this I think men are predisposed more so than women

75Sv1 · #13 02-25-2010, 11:36 AM

Overall, I think it is the nurture or enviromental side. I am fairly good at math, but not to the extent I'm a math whiz. I think certain cultures have problems or excell at different spatial or numerical problems. I hear Africans have a better grasp of round features, as their huts are usually round. Western culture is generally linear or square oriented. There is the actress from 'The Wonder Years". After that show, she went onto college. Somehow she was encuraged in math, and is presently a world class mathatician.
Tom

tbomachines · #14 02-25-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lutzTD

too funny, I am exactly the same. but I still hold hopes to write my breakout novel someday. My wife is an accountant and is far better at straight math, but theoretical math kicks her butt.

I am very much like your wife...On the SATs and GREs I scored VERY well on the math sections but that is because they were mostly straightforward algebraic. As soon as you get into calculus I am lost.

G-Benz · #15 02-25-2010, 02:43 PM

I think the way theoretical math is presented may have something to do with that:

For instance, it has been shown in studies that men do better at navigating than women when given vectors, such as "turn right 1 mile north". Women, under the same study did better than men when using landmarks, such as "turn right at the Taco Bell".

I think if women formulated math concepts before men, the application of the subject would have been far more interesting!