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
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Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.
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Approved: skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (Moderator -- Trish Roberts)
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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)



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