So I guess what I would wonder--and it might well vary by culture--is how SF and science and regarded as interests by the average person. Is liking science considered nerdy or within the normal range of hobbies/careers/interests? Is liking SF considered an ordinary interest or way out there weird? And also how SF is regarded by scientists in the culture--do other scientists look at you funny if you admit to reading SF, or do they all have shelves of it at home?
Ah, that's really interesting! Thanks for explaining. It makes sense, and I also do not know the answers. Though speculating would make for a fun conversation!
I do kind of wonder if female scientists in Asian countries get the "Woah, you're a scientist? But math is so hard for women!" reaction all the time.
I don't think so, but am not scientist in Asian country so couldn't say for sure. But -- just from my experiences growing up -- I'd say the expectation that boys will outperform girls in the maths and hard sciences is less, hm, intense/pervasive? I think it must still be there because when I got to uni men still dominated in the engineering and sciences courses among my primarily-Asian friend groups. They just didn't outnumber the women AS much as they did among Westerners.
Of course, the additional layer of context is that many of the Asians I was friends with spoke English as a second language. Maths and engineering and subjects like that are seen as being easier for people who don't like writing essays, and most of e.g. the Mainland Chinese people I knew at uni were either mathematicians or engineers. So, y'know, I don't know what the gender balance in the maths and engineering fields are like in Mainland China, whether there's even more of a bias towards men.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-06-02 03:46 pm (UTC)Ah, that's really interesting! Thanks for explaining. It makes sense, and I also do not know the answers. Though speculating would make for a fun conversation!
I do kind of wonder if female scientists in Asian countries get the "Woah, you're a scientist? But math is so hard for women!" reaction all the time.
I don't think so, but am not scientist in Asian country so couldn't say for sure. But -- just from my experiences growing up -- I'd say the expectation that boys will outperform girls in the maths and hard sciences is less, hm, intense/pervasive? I think it must still be there because when I got to uni men still dominated in the engineering and sciences courses among my primarily-Asian friend groups. They just didn't outnumber the women AS much as they did among Westerners.
Of course, the additional layer of context is that many of the Asians I was friends with spoke English as a second language. Maths and engineering and subjects like that are seen as being easier for people who don't like writing essays, and most of e.g. the Mainland Chinese people I knew at uni were either mathematicians or engineers. So, y'know, I don't know what the gender balance in the maths and engineering fields are like in Mainland China, whether there's even more of a bias towards men.