Yes, I do agree that an overall discussion of diversity is something that should be ongoing. For myself, I feel like the case of women in science is a somewhat special one, for the reason that I think it's a fairly universal problem.
In other words, in the USA there might be concern that there are too few people of Asian descent in positions of leadership or power over the sciences. But in Asia that isn't really a problem (the people in charge are Asian). Or we might say that there are not enough people of Latino descent in positions of leadership, etc. But in Latin America that is not a problem, etc. But, my impression is that under-representation of women in leadership roles in the sciences (and society in general) is a fairly universal issue. It is a problem in Asia, it is a problem here, it is a problem in Latin America, etc. So in some ways it seems like a more basic or fundamental problem in some way. I also think that if President Summers had said "I think people of African descent aren't in the sciences because of biological or cognitive differences", he very likely would have lost his job. Are there biological differences between races? Certainly. But, should we use that to explain what is more obviously a fundamental problem in our culture and our education system? No, I don't think so. What I found offensive about his remarks was that they missed the obvious answer. There aren't more women in the sciences because women are discouraged in both subtle and explicit ways from doing this. (This is the same explanation that I think applies to people of African descent, btw). So sometimes we in the academic world are very smart, but we lose our common sense or ability to see the world as it exists in the process. So that is why I focus a bit more on the issue of women in the sciences, but I agree, there are many important causes to champion, and each of us should have at least a few of these. Ted --- In [email protected], "Satanjeev Banerjee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > And this could lead nicely into the more general discussion on the benefits > of diversity. -Bano > > On 3/28/06, ted pedersen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > While having a conversation with a student today I mentioned remarks > > made last year by Harvard President Larry Summers on why there are > > so few women at the highest levels of science. At that time I was so > > dismayed and discouraged by his comments I did not have the > > inclination to even discuss them, but perhaps the passage of time makes > > it possible for me to think about it in a more objective light, and > > perhaps see past the controversy, etc. etc. In that spirit, I went back > > and looked again, .... > > > > ...and his remarks are still stupid. > > > > So, that's the passage of time talking. :) > > > > Anyway, for those of you that did not follow this closely here is a nice > > collection of commentary and articles on this controversy. > > > > http://www.uoregon.edu/~wmnmath/Summers/index.html > > > > I myself am dismayed by the under representation of women in computer > > science at UMD (both at the faculty and student level) and I puzzle over > > why that is the case. I am not sure exactly, but if you are in a > > department of Computer Science somewhere, look around and count the number > > of female faculty and students. If less than 35% of the students or > > faculty, then your institution has a big problem. You should not accept > > this as the ways things should be, nor should you simply say "well, I > > guess men and women are different and men like computers and machines and > > women don't, etc. etc." > > > > One of the things that I like so much about ACL and the associated > > research community is that women are reasonably well represented, and I > > think that makes it a more comfortable place for me to be. I do not > > think academic conferences or academic departments should be like locker > > rooms, where they boys mingle and snap each other on the backside with > > wet towels. (That's an old locker room trick I learned in my youth.) > > > > Anyway, we should probably talk about this issue more. I think I'm going > > to start doing that at UMD. You should do it at your place too if you > > think it's necessary (sadly, it probably is at most places). > > > > Ted > > > > -- > > Ted Pedersen > > http://www.d.umn.edu/~tpederse > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nlpatumd/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
