Composition – Conclusions

Topic: What reasons do you see for the fact that, even today, more boys than girls choose a career related to science and technology?

Now that school is almost over, we are often confronted with the question of what we are going to do after school. Curiously enough most girls mumble something about “some kind of social work” or “should have something to do with communication” whereas the boys pretty often have very clear ideas of their future career in the fields of science and technology, such as becoming e.g. engineers, computer experts, physicists etc. Why do so many girls reject these options?

People obviously choose their career according to their likes and dislikes. That is to say that the girls’ dislike of scientific subjects and preference of subjects like languages, social studies and arts is established very early in their lives. Some people say that these features are rooted in childhood when parents more or less unconsciously make boys play with cars and tools and encourage them to study how things work, whereas girls are expected to imitate their mothers, i.e. care about their dolls, play being in the kitchen and worry about their appearance and beauty.

Various studies have proven that school reinforces such male/female stereotypes. One aspect of this problem is the behavior of teachers. It has been shown convincingly that e.g. teachers of scientific subjects treat boys differently from girls. Boys are challenged much more and are continuously encouraged to work out solutions to problems. When a girl cannot give a correct answer, teachers tend to be “understanding and sympathetic” and take a boy instead. Of course girls get these hidden messages and draw the conclusion that they are not talented for sciences. In a vicious circle this belief worsens their achievements, which in turn confirms their conviction that they will not choose sciences in their later lives.

  1. 6 pure repetitionTo sum up a lot of young women choose a job in the social field whereas young men prefer technology.
  2. 5 wafflingIn the end everybody has to decide themselves what they are going to do in their lives. Both social and technology-oriented jobs have advantages and disadvantages. It depends on the individual.
  3. 1 concrete proposalTo sum up these typically female careers simply reflect our society as it is reflected in our schools. A promising attempt, in my opinion, to improve this situation is to separate boys and girls for scientific lessons. In many cases this method has shown rather positive results for both groups.
  4. 6 complete opposite of textAll in all it has become clear that boys are often discouraged in school. Teachers should try harder to help boys develop their talents.
  5. 1 concrete proposalThe present situation might improve if schools and universities offered special programs to help young women cope with science and technology. If possible those courses should be held by women, who can certainly better teach those subjects to girls.
  6. 4-5 no new reason/aspect in conclusion To sum up very few girls choose a career in science or technology. Another reason for this is that girls have very few role models they can identify with. One often gets the impression that the media deliberately never report about successful female scientists, politicians and writers.
  7. 1 In my opinion school and parents should not force young women to take up a career in science and technology just because of temporary political fads. If there is genuine interest and talent such a choice is of course justified, but when a young woman is convinced that she will become happy as an elementary school teacher or nurse, society should not look down upon such a decision.