by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
In college entrance exams, girls have caught up to boys scoring at the same levels in science, so why do more girls go into the humanities instead?
According to Education Week, researchers decided to take a closer look at gender disparities after then Harvard president Larry Summers, suggested that the under representation of women in math and science was due to aptitude.
While there is parity in achievement, when it comes to advanced academics and employment, the gender gap opens. Girls earn half of the degrees in biological sciences; but their percentages are far less in math, physical sciences and engineering, where our nation lags behind.
A Cornell study suggests that women identify themselves as more “home-centered” rather than “career centered.” A study of female valedictorians in North Carolina showed that girls chose environmental and health-related fields because they were more “compassionate” professions.
The researcher, Ann York, of Meredith College, concludes that girls look for careers more easily adaptable to work and family--asking themselves if a high paying job is all that important.
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