D&C GLug - Home Page

[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Why are there so few women in our LUG - does this indicate there are few female Linux users ?

 

Aaron Trevena wrote:
> I still think we don't know how much of girls and boys leaning towards
> different subjects, etc at an early age are down to nature vs nuture,
> but it does start very early.
>
> A.
My niece at less than one year old was showing a lot of interest in the 
spokes of Uncle Julian's wheelchair[1], and continued in that vein for 
some time - on holiday in France decided to try her hand at some 
dry-stone walling - albeit she called the small slates 'blankets' 
(because they covered the wall? :)).  Now at 3 years old she does have 
more girly aspirations with dresses and doll's houses, but only last 
year she was helping my brother digging potatoes in the garden.

My nephew.. 16 months old now.  If it moves play with it.  If it doesn't 
move.  Prise it loose.  Play with it ;)  He's very definitely a little 
boy.. likes kicking a ball around and other little boy toys.  They both 
like building blocks.. and beads (?).

On the basis of watching them I think it is more nurture.  Both their 
parents share equal time with them so they get a balanced upbringing 
from both sides of the 'traditional' upbringing for their respective 
genders and the opposite - my brother's not into dresses but he will let 
my nephew play with whatever he wants to, not stereotyped ;)

If, on the other hand, children are raised by parents with traditional 
attitudes of 'boys do X and girls do Y' then they will inherit these 
concepts themselves.  If you pull a baby away from toys that are not 
deemed 'the right ones for him/her' they will grow up with that fixed in 
their heads.

Kind regards,

Julian

[1] I leaned over and asked 'would you like a socket set for your first 
birthday?'  My brother thinking of his bike, which she had shown an 
interest in already, said 'No... she wouldn't...' :)

-- 
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list
FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html