Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!agate!tan@devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov From: tan@devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Greer H. Tan) Newsgroups: comp.society.women Subject: Re: Working at Home Message-ID: <11175@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: 20 Jun 88 20:57:58 GMT Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. Lines: 58 Approved: skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (Moderator -- Trish Roberts) Comments-to: comp-women-request@cs.purdue.edu Submissions-to: comp-women@cs.purdue.edu Regarding your questions about the computer field being the right place for women ... or rather the more ideal place for women because of the supposed preferred organization, and assuming that women *do* prefer more people contact and the alleged flexibility of the work. (I agree with those three descriptions of the computer science, field, by the way, but seeing as it is really only my opinion and I really wouldn't go so far as to say that this was fact ... thus the "quazi" mode of my speech ... ) Anyways, I do believe that in technology as a whole, perhaps computer science in particular, this organization based on people with experience *is* ideal. Having gone to an engineering school, and having associated with many many engineers, it seems that engineers tend to hold very little respect for anyone who hasn't proved him or herself in her field. Seeing as that would make managing a little more difficult if the manager can't get the respect of the workers, having a manager who has "risen from the ranks" seems to make sense. However, management training is also essential. I'm not sure if it is possible to train all engineers to become managers, but I figure a good design engineer, or systems engineer would have the same thinking mentality of a good manager, right? But ... I not saying what I really wanted to say. This bit about Computer Science being the field for women because it allows them to work at home. Excuse me, but do you realize the implication you are making? Or were you asking this question to try and get a reaction? Cuz, this question seems to assume that a woman's place is in the home and therefore a career that allows her to stay at home would be ideal! (And your question of course is whether this is true ... that women can now work at home on their computers). Well, first of all, yes, it is true. My Aunt is bringing up two wonderful kids and works 20-30 hrs from her home taking only a few hours a week to show up at meetings and to turn in her work. Second of all, I do believe that our children are our future. I would probably want to be at home or easily accessible to them at home when I have my own children. But, I would like that to have been my choice just as it is the choice of men whether they choose to be house husbands or not. The situation should not be a default to be the duty of a woman to work at home. I think the computer industry can be seen as an ideal work environment for raising a family because the one (if not both) parent is in this field and has the flexibility to spend more time at home, then homelife will once again prosper in middle class America. What do the rest of you all think? Greer H. Tan NASA JPL (Pasadena, CA) ====================================================================== For submissions, please use: usenet ucbvax!jade!violet!skyler arpa skyler@violet.berkeley.edu