Why are women much less likely to do useful science degrees and much more likely to do useless arts degrees?

Question

given that this is the case, and female college students prefer an easy ride (no pun intended) can feminists really complain when there are virtually no women in the most financially rewarding professions?

Answer 1

Considering your poor use of the English language I would say you probably don't have a degree in Literature.  Before I can even answer your gender biased question I have to ask you a few questions.  

1.  What "financially rewarding professions" are you speaking about?

2.  Contrary to your opinion, the completion of college does not result in a profession.  One would have to go to professional school, graduate school, a trade school,and or obtain a degree that is profession oriented (like Engineering).  So, what is it that you are getting at?

3.  How is it that a degree in the arts is an "easy" ride?  It is still a degree that most people do not have and probably will not ever obtain.  

Please enlighten me, so that I may respond to your question properly.  I mean, please provide those statistics, data, articles, and etc. to which you get your information from.

Since you felt no need to respond to my question let me add.  I have a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature.  I don't think I have waisted six years of my life studying it.  I have two professions: Law and Literature.

Every area of education requires MEMORIZATION (which is how it is spelled).  Understand this, the Arts (which is the correct grammatical usage since we are referring to a range of disciplines) have allowed you to write this very question.  Without it you could not speak, spell, or write.  Within the Arts is language.  Language is what separates us from the animals.  First came the word, which everything we communicate with spouted.  Some of us have a better command of it.  But as my comrades have said all the disciplines cannot function without the other and are influenced by each other.

The Arts degrees are not useless.  Tell that next time to the person you ask to look over your resume, the news anchor you get your news from, and the article you read the statistics from (I doubt you did) about female college students.

Answer 2

well dear

I am doing physics, maths, further maths and art for A levels, and I have to say that art is the most demanding of them all.

I will be an engineer, but artists do have to work hard and its a shame it is not well paid.

useless or not, without art and culture we would all be like monkeys in the gutter (no offense to monkeys)

Answer 3

Says who? And have you ever asked yourself this question...Why is it that women are prevented from many of the financailly rewarding professions? Answer... Men!

Many women high flyers will tell you that their lives were made h**l by many of their male counterparts with many forced to resign their posts because of the attitudes of those men towards them.

Your question by the way is inconsistent as I'm not sure that useful science degrees and financially rewarding positions automatically go hand in hand (well not in the uk it doesn't but then that's another story). Whereas many with useless art degrees can and do achieve high financial status in many instances.

Answer 4

From my perspective, I find that women choose the areas that interest them the most. Most arts degree holders have a bit of trouble finding jobs, but I would think that they are more satisfied doing what they love for less money, than hating their career and rolling in the dough! Just my opinion because I'm going through the same dilemma...

Answer 5

The only thing around here that is useless is you.  There are women in well-paid positions so go s***w yourself with your banana, byatch.

Answer 6

Because they know empiricism offers stupid people certainty and smart people know that nothing is certain.

Answer 7

A science degree isn't really all that useful if you have no interest or aptitude for the subject. It also isn't useful if your grades are mediocre or poor. People should major in subjects they are good at, regardless of how financially rewarding they might be. If you go for a particular subject simply because you think it will bring you a great paying job, you are likely to end up in a boring and unsatisfying career if you even get hired at all. Too many people end up in careers they are not suited for because they made that mistake in college and didn't realize it until they had already invested thousands of dollars in books and tuition and so much of their time.

Edit: I have a daughter who just graduated from high school and plans to go to college. There is no way I would encourage her to pursue a math heavy major. It's not because of her s*x but the fact that she is simply not good at that subject and struggled with it throughout high school. She is brilliant in subjects like literature, history, and writing. Some people have an aptitude for math and others don't. My other daughter is quite good at it but would be better if she tried more. If she wanted to, I would encourage her to study it in college because she has shown an aptitude for it. However, she's more interested in music and is thinking about studying it in college.

Answer 8

Because they are EASIER.

Answer 9

Oh boy, the stuff I could say about this. I, among many other girls, don't fit in this category at all.

TONS of girls are into science, math and engineering. I'm one of many in the US alone. You're talking to wrong dork, mister. My ride has been anything but easy, I've been in college non-stop since I was 16 with one summer off and at nearly 23, I have a BS in biology, an AS in neuroscience, just got my AA in creative writing and I'm ending year five in a program for my PhD in bioengineering. After that, I have a pending scholarship at a music school in LA for sound engineering. Humanities are great, too... I study languages and have danced ballet for 18 years on the side. I like something in every academic subject and if I could do it all for fun, I would.

My basic research goal is to work on drug vehicles with chemotherapy, I think that would be amazing.

In my eyes, humanities degrees and professions are JUST as important to benefiting society as the ones in science and math... I have a very "Renaissance" mentality on this, they are ALL crucial to a sophisticated society and they're not better than one another. Mental health via fields like psychology and physical health via the biomedical fields are EQUAL in understanding how to provide optimum health and living for all people. And at higher levels of neuroscience, for example, you'll find they intertwine extensively. I had to take quite a number of psych courses to get my AS in that field. And rightfully so.

Your view on this shows me that you may be unaware of a lot of things regarding these professions and how "rewarding" or "important" you think they are or aren't. I value them all because I see how they work together to create functioning societies.

I can't see how I would get a thumbs down for supporting all fields of higher education today and seeing their usefulness... but... alright, have fun with your personal complexes involving whatever degree you got, hahaha. Nothing is more annoying than "my degree is harder than yours, nyah nyah nyah"... so catty. Just like the catty women you hate so much, hahaha. Truth hurts.

Answer 10

Because That's The Reason Men Rule The World.

Answer 11

I really have to controvert (it means to dispute) your position that arts is a useless degree to pursue. I am studying English Literature and History of Art and I have always found it far easier to mimetically learn things off by heart in a concretized and definite manner as is the case in science degrees then having to actually apply your mind, to be a thinker as such, to engage in abstract ratiocination (it means the process of reasoning). It strikes me as the tremendous arrogance and superciliousness of people in business and science degrees to belittle arts, as while they have a very circumscribed area of knowledge, in all other areas they may very well be complete dunces, lacking sophistication, erudition, maturity, perspicacity, do you understand? An arts degree is concerned with civilisation, with the human condition, what humanity comprises as a whole. To me, all higher level degrees are self same in value and merit. They all require apllication, study and analysis. I am most definitely assured that I spend an equivalent amount of time studying literature, sociolinguistics and post-modern theoreticals as a medical student or a chemistry student spends studying their field of interest.It changrins me personally when people denigrate any field of study. They are all relevant. I like the subjects that are somewhat openended and allow for philosophy. It does not mean that an arts degree is an 'easy ride' as you say. I spent every week of the last year reading 700 page novels, analysing them and hermeneutically interpreting the methodologies of art history and getting secondary sources likewise to study. It is exhausting work and it does require self discipline and intelligence you know? I think you and your ignorant *** are sorely mistaken, little fella.

Science, for example, physics, food science or mathematics is predicated on learning formulas, which work as a framework by which you solve problems and It really does depend on what area of science you are referring to. It does require a much greater degree of concrete learning. If you had to study Kant's Critique of Reason with all its convolutions, and analyse it, I think you will find it as abstruse and difficult as anything concerned with the sciences.

Answer 12

There was ONE girl on my engineering degree.

I refuse to believe that women would have a hard time getting on the course- If anything, they would have been favoured over men as they are so rare.

Women complain that there are no females in science and engineering... But none of them ever want to do it.

They usually go for business or media degrees, which in my experience are much easier.

Answer 13

What is "useless" to you may not be useless to me. Education isn't only about science.

Answer 14

men werent always this mean and rotten to women.

(and they use to be able to legally beat us!)

really what hatred men express on here

maybe you all would prefer same s*x?

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EDIT - asker posed an ignorantly-stated  Butthead like question,   but got some qualitry answers. Nice job folks.

Enjoyed the read!

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As to science versus art?  --->When asked why HE thought he was so gifted, Michelangelo  (who desigend a helicopter, and mapped the human anatomy in the middle ages ,when that should  not have yet been able to be done ) said it was because he understood both the science AND THE ART in things. The blending of the two produces brilliance beyond either on its own, he said.

So dont understate the value of "arts"....because they involve all kinds of OTHER important life stuff too.

Are you really out to suggest anyone who doesnt chose their major based solely on what will pay the most is an idiot?

Well, you did say that.

And I would rather find in my heart knowledge what my life path is to be, because that's where that info lives, and it's where happiness comes from (to thine ownself be true--->BE YOURSELF!

But we'll see.

Come back in 15 years and we'll compare notes on how happy we each are based on HOW we went about chosing a major...We''ll see.

Answer 15

Oh you silly little boy, you should not speak of which you do not know. For anyone who believes an art-based degree to be an easy ride, surely has no knowledge on the subject whatsoever. It can be one of the most demanding education and career courses one could take, depending upon the university and specific course. I'm guessing you, yourself, are not scientifically inclined, or at least mathematically, for you seem to ignore/misunderstand statistics and do not take into account other contributing social factors to your beliefs. I do psychology science see, as well as law, biology and art design :) So I have a limited amount of knowledge on these areas. Many art-based careers are financially rewarding: Vivienne Westwood and Coco Chanel had art-based careers, as did Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'keefe, oh and J.K. Rowling and Harper Lee :) They were all heavily financially rewarded and renowned for their success. They aren't really seen as useless at all. If you believe them to be so, you must feel the same of equal males such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tolkien, Picasso, Van Gogh, Arcimboldo, Gehry and Gaudi! Then again their are leading female scientists such as Loftus, Freud (not sigmund), Axline, Ainsworth, Parten, Rosalind Franklin :) Hope I enlightened you some!

P.s. Look around the room your in, the computer you're typing on, someone was responsible for designing every aspect of it, how would you feel if your life were devoid of aesthetic beauty? Personally I like my curtains, they're pretty. And I like wearing clothes, or do you run around naked? Please refrain.

Answer 16

I have a tech degree in computers and a bachelors of science and was a statistics teacher's assistant in college. I've been a computer programmer or instructor for years. We can't even think about hiring many people because they can't write or speak well-it takes more than brains and techie skills to succeed in business. About 1/3 of the US computer techies are women and we do very well financially. My college's online administrators and trainers are women as well as the head of our CIS academic department-and they're sharp cookies and being paid well. I just went to a state wide distance learning administrators conference and the majority of them-were women. The head of our biowork department: a woman. Maybe women you know aren't in science-but the ones I know are in computers or biowork or environmental science and work at Fortune 500 companies.

Answer 17

firstly, art is not useless. it is what really sepereates us from the other animals. say what you will, but animals use science and tools. secondly, a financially rewarding job doesn't necessarily mean an emotionally rewarding job. and thirdly, i could care less whether or not you think my art degree will get me anywhere. it will make me happy and i'll be doing what i love, and isn't having that option really what feminism is all about?

Answer 18

First you are assuming that the only "important" career fields are in math and science. The humanities are important for building a well-rounded, educated and sophisticated society. Without them we'd all be twits punching numbers into calculators, absolutely and completely devoid of any personality to speak of.

  

Second, arts degrees aren't always an easy ride as you so erroneously stated. Taking an arts class here or there does not by any means make you an expert on the subject or what it takes to acquire a degree in that field.

Third, socially most women are told and unfortunately buy into the fact that women "can't" or "shouldn't" be in those fields. They are told there only importance in life is to look hot and be a s*x toy. They are told being intellectual frightens men and will lead them into an old, boring life without family. These are all unfortunately fallacies in logic.  

However, the amount of women in the science and math fields in steadily increasing every year so it's not a problem that will be dealt with for much longer.

Answer 19

Who says we're much less likely to do science degrees?!  I'm a science student and love it!

Answer 20

Id like to answer Netties response with one of my own ...

Sexism works both ways, I am a male and a nurse, and women are just as sexist and often a lot nastier in this traditionally female role. So get off your feminist high horse.

I think in response to the degrees being studied, people should remember that men and women are different, emotionally, physically, pysychologically and in terms of TYPES of intelligence (not levels of it), so that will account for why men are better at some subjects, and women are better at others. It doesn't mean that those differences are better or worse than each other.

Answer 21

Well, speaking as a female engineer, I can still complain.  The glass ceiling is real, because once you get married & have kids, the expectation of society is that childcare is the woman's responsibility, regardless of what degree you do.  As a result, my career has been limited.  Nothing to do with what degree you do, to do with the expectations of society, so yes feminists really can complain.

Answer 22

Actually it is not true that women are more likely to do useless art degrees. for example, many more women study law now. However, women tend to be draw to less clear cut professions where there are less black and white answers and more grey areas whereas men tend to prefer subjects where there is a definite answer. Also many women choose not to enter professions where there is a reputation is discrimination against them and are much more likely to choose alternative career routes rather than go for the most obvious routes, and deal with less hassle. As for useless degrees, how useful are those degrees which you are talking about when employers are complaining that more and more graduates with the required degree are ill-prepared for the work place? And we don't even include the fact that many women come from backgrounds where they are not given any incentive or encouragement to pursue many professions whcih are not considered suitable for them. Yes, in today's UK many women are stopped from pursuing their ambitions simply by the stopping of any funding from their families, whereas males are much more likely to be given this support.

Answer 23

The fact that you say 'useless art degrees' says more about your lack of intelligence than anyone else. I think maybe you are jealous - do something like science, you have to study and learn what you are told but art, music etc is a gift. It's a talent that can't be learnt.

Answer 24

Its because we like to make things look pretty when we're not in the kitchen.