She Blinded Me With Science

Studies show that young women who like math and science are more confident in general, and also feel better about the way they look than any other group of either sex. In addition, they are less concerned about being liked by others.

This quote is from a book I am reading at the moment titled, Things Will Be Different for My Daughter: A Practical Guide to Building Her Self-Esteem and Self-Reliance by Mindy Bingham and Sandy Stryker. The book was written in 1995 but is still relevant, if not more so, in 2011.

I try to remember back to my science and math classes and whether boys were, indeed, treated differently than girls and if they were given more attention, validation and reward. I can't remember to be honest. I was pretty good at math and science, though I excelled in English and art classes.

Fred and I have already expressed (to one another) the hope that June wants to be an engineer or chemist or some such thing. We've also looked into private schools that focus on supporting girls in the sciences. So, obviously, we must have some sense that what Bingham and Stryker say is true.

Now, if June decides she wants to be an artist or an actress, I'm all for it. It's up to her. But I do want to encourage her to use her brain to its fullest capacity (of course) and not to be intimidated by anyone else's biases or preconceptions.

If you have a daughter, I highly recommend taking a look at this book. I wish it had been around when I was a girl.