Where are all the ladies?

[I'm Painting Again]

Hi! I'm new and my name is Andra. I'm writing a (massive) paper for my college english class. My topic is why do males dominate audio? I've been to many,many shows and I'm studying audio at art school. As a woman in the world of audio, I'm very interested in people comments, questions, opinions,etc... anything that I might be able to use for my paper. Thanks!

i think your question might be the wrong one..im not sure..why do males dominate audio?..there are, or it seems there are more males in engineering positions and hobbies..but is it because they dominate the females who are interested in it or are females just less interested in it to begin with? some other reason?

I'm sure there is about the same amount of sexism in audio as anything else but its not fair to base your paper on the assumption that females are dominated by males in this case..you want to be as objective as possible and starting out with this specific question may lead you down a narrow and or biased path..I do believe its a worthwhile and valid topic though, even if you focus on purely the amount of sexism in the audio engineering profession..

It seems to me there are respected female engineers out there..and I've never heard too much about specific cases of sexism..but i just might not know about them..talking with many engineers..i get the impression that most are pretty liberal minded and not sexist at all..

again i'm sure it exists..but to what extent? would that be a better question?

[Red Rockets Glare]

I have a friend that is learning the ropes that comes in to help me on sessions now & then and she sets clients SO at ease when she is there.
She is going to Full Sail next year and will be making a LOT of money one of these days working with awesome musicians.

After she's spent a LOT of money for a schooling she probably doesn't need. If I were her friend, I'd steer her away from going to a school in podunk FL when it seems like she has everything she needs for success in LA, the music industry center. Seems a little funny eh?

Hey Brew,
She has some financial aid, and she is the type that likes to read manuals and actually KNOW things about the physics of sound. These are things I can't impart and the other studios she hangs out at have her washing toilets. I agree with you that audio school isn't for everyone, but I think it's going to do great things for her.
Cheers,
Raymond

[magritte]

Certain fields attract men, and some attract women. Probably because they appeal to some desire that is specific to the gender. It doesn't mean a person can't cross over. I think most engineers would prefer to have a cute girl around (assuming she knew her shit) to a guy, so the sexism angle doesn't really work.

[Mark67]

If sexism is a part of it, I would have to think it is only a very small part of it. There isn't a professional woman who doesn't have to deal with a wink-wink boy's club at some point, but I think such obstacles are increasingly surmountable. Far more likely it is simply that technical careers have traditionally been the province of men, and yet that's changing. Engineering (mech., elec, systems, etc) is a great example. There is a whole generation of women--the children of the Baby Boomers--studying engineering now where there wasn't even one generation ago. Probably less so in the audio engineering department, but then, there's a fluid definition of what constitutes an "audio engineer" in that field: people don't necessarily major in AE to become one. After this home recording revolution, we WILL be seeing many more. Women are so much more likely to be encouraged in any of their interests, even in the most traditional families.

I daresay even the most laddish and boorish of TapeOppers here join Larry C. and the rest of us in supporting women engineers!

[KennyLusk]

Look, a woman as a person does exactly what she wants to do with her life (just like anybody else).

If there aren't very many women in the field of audio engineering (which there aren't) you should ask the women, not the men.

Men will tell you precisely why they Are into audio...

Only Women can tell you why they are Not.

[TomS]

Sexism, like similar forms of oppression, comes in two forms: there are the present effects of past denials of rights (call that structural discrimination), and there are present denials of rights (e.g., sexist hiring practices - call that overt discrimination). Certainly the present pattern in the USA is mostly explained as the effect of past acts - in the same way that present homeownership patterns in different historically oppressed groups reflects past denials of civil rights (Jim Crow, and even slavery are both still making their effects felt in this way). Different explanations are required in other contexts.

It would be useful to get exact numbers (or the best you can) on employment by sex over time, to establish your basic thesis, and to track changes over time. Additionally, be careful not to rely on anecdotal reports - esp. of the sort that points out a successful woman (or even a few) and then concludes that the doors are open, that equality is just around the corner. Would that the world worked that way, but when it comes to these forms of oppression it almost never has. Structural discrimination's heart will be beating long after the last sexist person has retired, I think. Most of us don't want that to happen, but as a society we lack the tools, the institutions, and the will to change things - for the most part. Think of the rukus that affirmative action has caused, when it can only be characterized as - I think this is how Cornel West put it - the most minimal response to a denial of civil rights of almost unimaginable magnitude.

Should this be in OT?

[syrupcore]

...would prefer to have a cute girl around (assuming she knew her shit) to a guy, so the sexism angle doesn't really work.

omg

[syrupcore]

When I was out on the road touring last month, I met three female FOH engineers. All three were young and totally had the skills, more so than half of the male engineers I ran into.

Sadly, I dunno any female engineers. maybe people who do could hook the poster up with an email/phone. I think kenny makes a good point and contact info would help.

[JES]

http://pinknoises.com/

It's not rock, but it's cool.

--JES

[TapeOpHillary]

i'm not around cuz i'm busy making records ...

but, yes, the answer is sexism.
and...
faux non-sexism too.
and...
stinky boys...
hehe

hillary

[bobbydj]

...would prefer to have a cute girl around (assuming she knew her shit) to a guy, so the sexism angle doesn't really work.

omg

omg indeed. In fact, time for a + a and maybe a little , just for good measure.

[i*persevere]

Check out our thread on the job posting ste. Hey Andra we are out there!!! Disregard any crap you may hear about men having larger brains. Check out womensaudiomission.org and youwill get happy. GO TO AES!!!

[magritte]

...would prefer to have a cute girl around (assuming she knew her shit) to a guy, so the sexism angle doesn't really work.

omg

omg indeed. In fact, time for a + a and maybe a little , just for good measure.

can you guys explain why you're "omging" me?