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WOMAN_HUNT
May 16, 2010
How do you take the relative
absence of women in many
technical fields?
One, which favored by some of
the "geekfeminists" is that
it's indicative of rampant HIVE_VAGINA
sexism inside the field.
Another is that it's a reflection of
general sexism in society at large,
where women are subtly discouraged
from going into these fields.
I find myself often groping
toward a third answer, rightly
or wrongly, I keep veering
toward the feeling that this is RACE_DOWN
some sort of internal problem
with "the culture of women".
A symptom of insecurity? There's an impulse to
Frivolousness? point the finger back
against the complainants.
Whether or not this is
some variation of When Critical Mass first
"blaming the victim", I made the news in the
do have this impulse to mid-90s, bike activists
blame women for their own were often told that
(apparent?) lack of they needed to police
advancement in technical the behavior of fellow
fields. cyclists.
I get tired of being put down There are some weird
for being interested in a assumptions in there:
number of things that most What am I supposed to
women just don't seem to care do to control another
about very much. cyclist's behavior?
Am I responsible for
Is it my problem that women all other cyclists,
don't want to do cool just because I'm a
stuff? What am I supposed member of the group?
to do to make them want to
do cool stuff? Notions like that come
up again and again,
The allowed answers are: where group identity
is concerened the
(a) don't discourage them. people outside the
group struggle with
(b) discourage guys who the notion of
discourage them. individuality within
the group.
I more-or-less fine But why is
with both of those, there no They don't have any trouble
and in fact I think prohibition villifying all cyclists
I'm really and against because of the behavior of
truly someone who discouraging some, and yet they wouldn't
just lives that *me*? agree that all motorists
way-- and indeed, deserve the reputation of
I suspect most male You think guys the worst of them.
geeks are... most are given a
of us don't exactly free pass that Many geekfeminists
object to having gets them seem to want all geeks
women around who through life to Do Something about
share our without the tiny minority of
obsessions. ego-crushing aggresively sexist ones.
experiences?
And someone like myself
often wants to see
women as a group take a
public stand against
people who claim to
speak for women as a group.
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