Disagree that the underrepresentation of women in science and Research Paper

Disagree that the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering is the result of innate differences in aptitude and interests - Research Paper Example The explanations given have had implications on public policies. Additionally the conclusions made on such issues are likely to affect education, roles of males and females in the society, as well as the attitude of people towards education. This essay will argue that the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering is not the result of innate differences in aptitude and interests but due to other factors. Over the last half century, women have made tremendous progress in educational achievements. They have been able to venture in fields that were historically considered as male fields, which include law, business, and medicine. However, the number of women who have ventured in the fields of science and engineering remains low. This has led to several speculations regarding the reasons for sex differences in the aforementioned careers (Laursen and Bill 18-22). Some speculations are biased since they attempt to argue that males have certain talents and temperaments that enable them to succeed in science and engineering while women lack such talents. Another position used to explain the underrepresentation is the nurture position, which is based on the argument that males and females are biologically similar and the sex related difference, arise due to socialization and biasness. Other positions are intermediate and use both biological and socialization as well as biasness arguments to explain the sex differences in the fields of science and engineering (Trefil and Sarah 49-52; Bix 27-33) Several factors can be attributed to the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering careers. One of the major factors is the level of commitment required in the two fields. Pursuing courses in science and engineering and working in the related field requires a lot of commitment in terms of time and energy. Women especially