American Culture Derails Girl Math Whizzes, Study Finds

[Moontanman]

American Culture Derails Girl Math Whizzes, Study Finds

[pgrmdave]

I found something rather interesting in that article. This:

 

Contrary to the myth that females lack the intrinsic aptitude needed to excel in mathematics at the highest level, an idea proffered most famously by former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers, many girls exist with truly exceptional talent for mathematics.

 

combined with this:

 

When raised in some environments, girls were found to be 11-24 percent of the children identified as having profound mathematical ability; when raised in others, girls, including U.S.-born white ones, were 30-fold or more underrepresented.

 

doesn't really make any sense. Unless there is a world-wide problem of not helping girls who are good at math, even in the best situations there are three times as many men who are identified as having "profound mathematical ability". Now, I'm not suggesting that girls aren't good at math, but rather that, just like men and women have different physical structures, perhaps men and women have different mental structures, and men are more predisposed to being good with mathematics.

 

Also:

[freeztar]

I found this part of the article to be the most profound and probably the least dealt with:

 

Throughout middle and high school, social stigma and lack of appropriately challenging educational opportunities for the mathematically precocious becomes a hard reality in most American schools. Consequently, gifted girls, even more so than boys, often camouflage their mathematical talent to fit in well with their peers.

 

I also found the links to other articles related to this subject on the sidebar of ScienceDaily.

 

Math Plus 'Geeky' Images Equals Deterred Students

 

Stereotype-induced Math Anxiety Undermines Girls' Ability To Perform In Other Academic Areas

 

Why Women Shy Away From Careers In Science And Math

[Racoon]

I want my girls to know how to cook and clean, NOT calculus and differential equations. :):hihi:

 

I want a girl who looks good in a skirt and blouse, not with coke-bottle glasses and pocket protector.

 

 

J/K.

 

Yeah, stereotypes are hard to break.

Jocks rule, Nerds drool.

[CraigD]

Fear not!

 

Danica McKellar (Erdos-Bacon number = 6), with recent books “Math Doesn’t Suck” http://www.amazon.com/Math-Doesnt-Suck-Survive-Breaking/dp/0452289491/ref=pd_apn?ie=UTF8&tag=hypographycom&linkCode=wah&camp=212361&creative=558221 and “Kiss My Math” http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Math-Showing-Pre-Algebra/dp/1594630496/ref=pd_apn?ie=UTF8&tag=hypographycom&linkCode=wah&camp=212361&creative=558221, and messages such as “Cute and smart is better than cute and dumb,” will save the next generation of female mathematicians :)

[Racoon]

Fear not!

 

Danica McKellar (Erdos-Bacon number = 6), with recent books “Math Doesn’t Suck” and “Kiss My Math”, and messages such as “Cute and smart is better than cute and dumb,” will save the next generation of female mathematicians :)

 

Nice. ;)

But it still seems that Cute and Sexy sells...

 

If she was a homely girl w/ outrageous math skills, would she have a book and magazine covers??

:)

[Buffy]

If she was a homely girl w/ outrageous math skills, would she have a book and magazine covers??

:)

So you're saying if she was as smart and ugly as Steven Hawking, she wouldn't get a book deal?

 

Whose fault is that Mister Neanderthal?

 

An intelligence test sometimes shows a man how smart he would have been not to have taken it, :)

Buffy

[freeztar]

Fear not!

 

...and messages such as “Cute and smart is better than cute and dumb,” will save the next generation of female mathematicians :)

 

:)

 

Awesome! ;)

 

I viewed all the Amazon videos and find that what the author is promoting is beneficial all around. If only this attitude were more abundant in our educational system...;)

[Buffy]

Yes, my daughter is a fan of both Danica M and Danica P, and has read both of Ms. M's books.

 

She's now beating the boy's pants off in Algebra I....and they all want to date her too! :)

 

Smart women love smart men more than smart men love smart women, :)

Buffy

[freeztar]

Women are smarter than men in every way :)

[Tormod]

I saw those books at the bookstores last week, didn't really think about them except thinking that they looked a bit hyped. It's great if they help lift girls' interest and awareness of mathematics! :)

[Racoon]

So you're saying if she was as smart and ugly as Steven Hawking, she wouldn't get a book deal?

 

Whose fault is that Mister Neanderthal?

 

An intelligence test sometimes shows a man how smart he would have been not to have taken it, ;)

Buffy

 

According to the stereotype, and current culture.., Probably not.

I haven't seen any Steven Hawking-esque women celebrated on magazine covers, have you??

 

I'm not saying that its right, thats just "the way it is"

:)

 

Same thing with Danica Patrick.. If she wasn't "hot", nobody would care that she's just an average F1 racer