WOMEN IN MATHEMATICSBy Nancy Buck

WOMEN IN COLLEGE, BUT NOT IN MATH

1973-A study of first year students attending Berkeley showed two things: Percentage of women prepared to take Calculus I

was much lower than the number of men (Blum and Givant 758).

Every major except for those traditionally held by women required Calculus I as a prerequisite (Blum and Givant 758).

Women’s representation in higher education is reaching 50% (Bradley 1)

WOMEN IN COLLEGE, NOT MATH CONT.

1970-1977 The number of women receiving

doctorates in math or science went from 9.7% to 18% (Blum and Givant 792).

In 1977, the rate of unemployed women in math and science was 3-5% higher than those of men in math and science (Blum and Givant 792).

Why is this happening?

A VICIOUS CYCLE

“Professions requiring mathematics have long been considered part of the “male domain” and inappropriate for women. Therefore girls tend to stop studying mathematics early and are ill-prepared to enter scientific and technical fields. The resulting dearth of women perpetuates the masculine image of these fields” (Blum and Givant 786).

ATTEMPTS AT BREAKING THE CYCLE

1974-Mills College started the Pre-calculus program to try and steer women towards a degree in math or science (Blum and Givant 786).

Addressing the home support system in mathematics at the earliest stages of education (Entwisle 455).

Finding the women already in mathematics and bringing them to the forefront!

ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN MATHEMATICS (AWM)

Founded in 1971 (AWM) Purposes:

Encourage women and girls to study mathematics and enter a mathematical career(AWM)

Promote equality for women and girls in the field of mathematics(AWM)

http://www.awm-math.org

AWM: A HISTORY

In 1971, the Joint Mathematics Meetings were held in Atlantic City: There were over 15 invited speakers to the

meetings. None were women (Blum 1). There were 300 ten minute talks of which 15

were given by women which consisted of 5% of the speakers (Blum 1).

AWM: A HISTORY

Blum recalls the catalyst that began the AWM:-”In those years the AMS was governed by what could only be called an ‘old boys network,’ closed to all but those in the inner circle. Mary [Gray] challenged that by sitting in on the Council meeting in Atlantic City…When she was told she had to leave, she responded she could find no rules in the by-laws restricting attendance at Council meetings. She was then told it was by ‘gentleman's agreement.’ Naturally Mary replied ‘Well, obviously I’m no gentleman.’”(Blum 1).

AWM: A HISTORY

Mary Gray was the founder and first president of the AWM (Blum 2).

Known as the “mother of us all” (us all being women mathematicians) (Blum 2).

In January 1972, Gray wrote an article entitled “Uppity Women Unite” saying that the education system needed to be fixed starting in the elementary schools to get girls on the right track (Blum 2).

AWM: TODAY

Is the AWM still needed? Despite the fact that 25% of PhD’s are given to

women, it is still hard to get young girls to enter the field of mathematics (Taylor 1).

Girls at a Nebraska math camp said they did not tell anyone they were going to a math camp for fear of being made fun of (Taylor 1).

Most women choose a teaching job in mathematics as opposed to a research job (Taylor 1).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blum, Lenore. “A Brief History of the Association for Women in Mathematics: The Presidents’ Perspectives”. Notices, Sept 1991. http://www.awm-math.org/articles/notices/199107/blum/.

Blum, Lenore and Steven Givant. “Increasing the Participation of Women in Fields that Use Mathematics”. The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 87, No. 10, Dec 1980, pp 785-793.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bradley, Karen. “The Incorporation of Women into Higher Education: Paradoxical Outcomes?” Sociology of Education, Vol. 73, No. 1, Jan. 2000, pp 1-18.

Entwisle, Doris R. and Karl L. Alexander. “Beginning School Math Competence: Minority and Majority Comparisons”. Child Development, Vol. 61, No. 2, Apr 1990, pp 454-471.

Taylor, Jean E. and Sylvia Wiegand. “AWM in the 1990’s: A Recent History of the Association for Women in Mathematics”. Notices, Vol. 46, No.1, Jan 1999. http://www.awm-math.org/articles/199812/awm1990s/.