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Why aren't their many female nerds?

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#21 SushiKitten

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Posted 02 May 2014 - 11:04 PM

Females in STEM careers have always been a minority, but many people, both in STEM and not, are working towards evening it out, and there are a lot of societies geared towards females in STEM for support. Ladies Learning Code is one that just opened a branch in my town, they seem pretty great. But if you single out nerds to just an academic sense, then yes you won't see many ladies, because until recently it was taboo for women to pursue scientific careers at all. I can go on about this because it's one of the few feminist issues I care about, but anyway.

The definition of nerd has evolved to more than that, though. Nerdery is more about the passion of The subject rather than the subject itself. And in that sense, the gender ratio is pretty even

Bloodangel's paper is a good read if you're interested in the social aspect of nerdery.

#22 Nerdgirl11

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 12:52 AM

But what you guys aren't getting that nerds have to be intelligent,so counting everyone that is into Doctor Who ,or Pokemon as nerd but isn't  intelligent is not a nerd.And almost every nerdy guy friend I have has told me their is a lack of nerdy girls in the nerd culture.



#23 seakingtheonixpected

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 01:18 AM

But what you guys aren't getting that nerds have to be intelligent,so counting everyone that is into Doctor Who ,or Pokemon as nerd but isn't  intelligent is not a nerd.And almost every nerdy guy friend I have has told me their is a lack of nerdy girls in the nerd culture.

gee, guys are telling you that all their girl friends that like Dr. Who are to stupid to be real nerds. Better believe them!

 

No possible sexism there.

 

EDIT: I suppose I should responde with some non-sarcastic remarks to clarify.

 

It is easy to limit the number of people included in a group my moving the goal post to make sure they are kept out. Guys tend to keep women out of the "nerdy" definition by making sure to claim that a nerd must have all these specific traits that women have been deprived of and thus many don't have.

 

Not having strong abilities in math or spacial reasoning has nothing to do with intelligence, unless you design your definition specifically to do so.

 

This whole seperation of nerd and geek is just a time waste designed to cause debates over something that means nothing.

 

It is like those people who claim they are the true born "real hardcore gamers" and anyone who plays casual games is just a poser. I guess it is just a coincidence that "casual games" are played mostly by women.



#24 The Seldom Seen Kid

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 02:07 AM

I feel like a lot of this is based on stereotypes. The whole "you have to be super clever to be a nerd" is unfair people are intelligent in their own ways. Plus you said before that they HAVE to be introverts which isn't true. I'm here as a nerd enjoying nerdy things but actually I'm more of an extrovert. So all in all this thread seems to be about opinions.



#25 Calvary

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 04:47 AM

But what you guys aren't getting that nerds have to be intelligent,so counting everyone that is into Doctor Who ,or Pokemon as nerd but isn't  intelligent is not a nerd.And almost every nerdy guy friend I have has told me their is a lack of nerdy girls in the nerd culture.

 

Seems to me you have this very niche stereotype in your head. No wonder you haven't found many female nerds; you have such a narrow and trite (self-imposed) perception of what a nerd is I'm surprised you've found any.

 

I don't understand this human obsession with needing to make exclusive little categories for everything. If you want to be a nerd, great be a nerd, fuck what anyone else says.


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#26 SushiKitten

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 05:37 AM

Who are you to decide who is and isn't intelligent?

#27 The Seldom Seen Kid

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 07:33 AM

This is one sassy thread.



#28 Bowsette

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 08:13 AM

If nerds have to be intelligent, in what way are you, OP, qualified to define intelligence? Is it a knowledge scale? Trivia? Correct spelling?

 

By separating who can and who cannot be a nerd according to your skewed viewpoint, you are part of the reason there are not many female nerds (according to you).

 

Because you push them down and impose limits on them, and then bitch and moan. Just like all those friendzone guys. "Waaaaaah I'm so alone everyone friendzones me why can't I find a nice girl but I don't want any blacks, they can't hate sports, they have to be freaky in bed" etc etc. Attaching all these negative points to people who enjoy things the same way you do is just stupid.


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#29 Affray

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 08:46 AM

Seems to me you have this very niche stereotype in your head. No wonder you haven't found many female nerds; you have such a narrow and trite (self-imposed) perception of what a nerd is I'm surprised you've found any.

 

I don't understand this human obsession with needing to make exclusive little categories for everything. If you want to be a nerd, great be a nerd, fuck what anyone else says.

I think you do understand why we feel the need to categorise everything, you just don't understand why we haven't ascended beyond the need to do so.

It is sort of what made us such a dominant species in a way.

The subconscious ability to evaluate another person's value and abilities immediately is a massive asset.

 

We do, however, have the ability to decide to not be an asshole after we immediately judge someone and file them neatly in to a mental folder somewhere.

So we have at least evolved our higher thinking enough to decide when judgement is applicable and when it isn't.


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#30 Sethre

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 08:48 AM

This is one sassy thread.

Sassy is my life.


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#31 Calvary

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 08:53 AM

I think you do understand why we feel the need to categorise everything, you just don't understand why we haven't ascended beyond the need to do so.

It is sort of what made us such a dominant species in a way.

The subconscious ability to evaluate another person's value and abilities immediately is a massive asset.

 

We do, however, have the ability to decide to not be an asshole after we immediately judge someone and file them neatly in to a mental folder somewhere.

So we have at least evolved our higher thinking enough to decide when judgement is applicable and when it isn't.

 

You basically nailed it yeah.

 

 

Oh Affray, you so smart. :P


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#32 Spidermonkey

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 09:13 AM

If nerds have to be intelligent, in what way are you, OP, qualified to define intelligence? Is it a knowledge scale? Trivia? Correct spelling?

 

By separating who can and who cannot be a nerd according to your skewed viewpoint, you are part of the reason there are not many female nerds (according to you).

 

Because you push them down and impose limits on them, and then bitch and moan. Just like all those friendzone guys. "Waaaaaah I'm so alone everyone friendzones me why can't I find a nice girl but I don't want any blacks, they can't hate sports, they have to be freaky in bed" etc etc. Attaching all these negative points to people who enjoy things the same way you do is just stupid.

 

 

I totally agree with this.

 

Nerdiness is about being passionate about something you like, and I don't think that means you need to have an IQ of 170 to appreciate it. By saying that you are condemning and insulting SO MANY PEOPLE.

 

It's hard enough most times to be accepted as a woman in nerd culture, but I think it has a lot to do with how we precieve ourselves and others AS women. If we continually judge other females based on their likes, dislikes and INTELLIGENCE, then we are doing NOTHING to help promote acceptance of females in that culture.



#33 Nerdgirl11

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 12:08 PM

I had graduated with a 4.00 in high school.I speak Hebrew ,Yiddish ,and Arabic.I taught myself HTML,Python,and JavaScript I read a couple of Shakespeare's books at 9.I read medical encyclopedias at the same age.Nerds earn their title not by by reading comic books,or wearing a super hero t-shirts ,but by hard work and hours of studying.I earned this title ,and others who think they can use the title just because they got into a popular book series ,or TV shows are just posers.



#34 Spidermonkey

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 12:15 PM

Good for you, I'm sure you're quite proud of yourself. But you shouldn't be an elitist about it.

 

You apparently have your own narrow idea of what it means to be a "nerd" and that will greatly limit the number of wonderful people you will be able to have meaningful common bonds with.



#35 Calvary

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 12:16 PM

Wow, you're so much better than all of us, Nerdgirl! You should start your own forum: realnerdforum.org. 

 

I wish stupid old poser me could be as nerdy as you. Damn.


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#36 Sethre

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 12:23 PM

I had graduated with a 4.00 in high school.I speak Hebrew ,Yiddish ,and Arabic.I taught myself HTML,Python,and JavaScript I read a couple of Shakespeare's books at 9.I read medical encyclopedias at the same age.Nerds earn their title not by by reading comic books,or wearing a super hero t-shirts ,but by hard work and hours of studying.I earned this title ,and others who think they can use the title just because they got into a popular book series ,or TV shows are just posers.

Honestly if you think you have to be that smart and be able to do all the 'smart' things at a young age then you're probably on the wrong forum. 


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#37 seakingtheonixpected

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 01:01 PM

I had graduated with a 4.00 in high school.I speak Hebrew ,Yiddish ,and Arabic.I taught myself HTML,Python,and JavaScript I read a couple of Shakespeare's books at 9.I read medical encyclopedias at the same age.Nerds earn their title not by by reading comic books,or wearing a super hero t-shirts ,but by hard work and hours of studying.I earned this title ,and others who think they can use the title just because they got into a popular book series ,or TV shows are just posers.

You obviously aren't intelligent enough to realize that it is impossible to know that someone has done these things in a normal context. How are you gauging whether or not someone has solved fermat's last theorem at the age of 12? Also, are you making the claim that anyone who wants to be an artist is automatically not intelligent? Who is to say that are not watching these TV shows to get ideas about writing theory?

 

Honestly I am beginning to doubt this whole canvas you are creating for yourself. At this point I am pretty convinced that you are just a troll. Probably the most successful troll I have seen on here though. So congratulations on that, guess it is another achievement you can add.



#38 idk

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 01:01 PM

I had graduated with a 4.00 in high school.I speak Hebrew ,Yiddish ,and Arabic.I taught myself HTML,Python,and JavaScript I read a couple of Shakespeare's books at 9.I read medical encyclopedias at the same age.Nerds earn their title not by by reading comic books,or wearing a super hero t-shirts ,but by hard work and hours of studying.I earned this title ,and others who think they can use the title just because they got into a popular book series ,or TV shows are just posers.

I remember when I was super edgy, judgmental, and thought I was better than everyone else because I knew specific things not everyone else knew.

 

Man, high school was a dark time.

 

Edit:

You made a grammatical error in the title of this thread

 

Should be there, not their.

 

Their implies possession, as in "These are my cousins, and that is their dog."


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#39 CthulhuLovesMemes

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 01:46 PM

I think there are some people out there who aren't entirely vocal about their passions and consider themselves to be closet nerds/geeks, but at the conventions I've gone to there have been plenty of female nerds rather excited and happy to be around other people who share in their fandoms. It's really all in how you look at things. I do find it easier to find male friends that I have nerdy things in common with, but I wouldn't say there are less Women that like it... It could just be it was more widely known as a male thing for a long time. 


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#40 Nerdgirl11

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Posted 03 May 2014 - 01:48 PM

By all the statement that are made here almost everyone on the this plant could qualify to be a nerd by simply liking one thing that is deemed "nerdy" Heck my mom could now be nerd for watching Star Trek Next Generation,or I could even be a gamer for playing Just Dance 4.







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