Extended Critical Response Final Draft 
Being a Woman Does not Correspond to Lack of Math Skills
The amount of women who join or even are a part of science related fields, are few and the percentages are lowering over time. The question is why? Why aren’t women pursuing careers in these fields? The combination of stereotypes in society and the lack of education on this matter is the answer. They get in the way of a woman’s judgment and choices. This is the argument that the article “The Persistence of Gender Myths in Math” by Rosalind Chait Barnett & Caryl Rivers published in October 2004, in the newspaper Education Week supports. I personally am in favor of Barnett and River’s position. Not only because they are against the stereotype which is implanted in our society, that math is only suitable for men but also because they believe that if women where properly educated without bias they could achieve things they are capable of instead of being discouraged. To support my views on this matter I will be using evidence from other sources that will be presented later on. One reason I agree with Barnett and Rivers is because on one hand although they acknowledge the fact that “men far out number women in math related fields” (par.4), on the other hand they argue that this has nothing to do with innate differences but rather with stereotypes. In other words the authors do not believe that genes are the reason why women do not choose to study math but are rather deterred from biased people and circumstances which discourage women in succeeding in these fields. When girls grow up in an environment which is biased and supports that men are better than women in jobs or math related studies and avert them from doing the same they will end up believing that men are better than them and that “erodes their confidence in their own ability to succeed” (par.6). In plain English when a girl has been discouraged throughout her life from doing something that is considered unsuitable to her gender she will not have
The amount of women who join or even are a part of science related fields, are few and the percentages are lowering over time. The question is why? Why aren’t women pursuing careers in these fields? The combination of stereotypes in society and the lack of education on this matter is the answer. They get in the way of a woman’s judgment and choices. This is the argument that the article “The Persistence of Gender Myths in Math” by Rosalind Chait Barnett & Caryl Rivers published in October 2004, in the newspaper Education Week supports. I personally am in favor of Barnett and River’s position. Not only because they are against the stereotype which is implanted in our society, that math is only suitable for men but also because they believe that if women where properly educated without bias they could achieve things they are capable of instead of being discouraged. To support my views on this matter I will be using evidence from other sources that will be presented later on. One reason I agree with Barnett and Rivers is because on one hand although they acknowledge the fact that “men far out number women in math related fields” (par.4), on the other hand they argue that this has nothing to do with innate differences but rather with stereotypes. In other words the authors do not believe that genes are the reason why women do not choose to study math but are rather deterred from biased people and circumstances which discourage women in succeeding in these fields. When girls grow up in an environment which is biased and supports that men are better than women in jobs or math related studies and avert them from doing the same they will end up believing that men are better than them and that “erodes their confidence in their own ability to succeed” (par.6). In plain English when a girl has been discouraged throughout her life from doing something that is considered unsuitable to her gender she will not have
Cited: Caryl Rivers, Barnett Rosalind Chait. "The Persistence of Gender Myths in Math." Education Week. N.p., 13 Oct. 2004. Web. 12 Oct. 2004 Donald Athene. "Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes: How Our Schools Narrow Children 's Choices." The Guardian. N.p., 9 Dec. 2013. Web. Pinker, Steven. "Sex Ed, The Science of Difference." New Republic. N.p., 07 Feb. 2005. Web. Jan.-Feb. 2005.