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In lugnet.loc.au, David Drew writes:
> "Deidre Rushton Brumby" <drb@tasmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Fz2zsD.Isp@lugnet.com...
>
> > What? You (Lego) mean that I can't get a Mindstorms set for Christmas
> > after all? I thought I'd dealt with all the "you can't program computers
> > because you're a girl" stupidity 10+ years ago and now a respected toy • company
> > that supposedly is encouraging children's development comes along and
> > spouts the same thing?
>
>
> Okay, I think that this isn't sexist at all. It's just a case of directed
> marketing, where the manufacturer pitches the sale towards the largest
> demographic.
<snipped>
I think we may have to agree to disagree on this :) Though I shan't form
further opinions until I've seen the rest of the catalog, at the point
I was looking last night there were only the first 3 or so pages.
The programming challenge for boys got my hackles up the most, I can
almost (but not quite) excuse the rest (the soccer comment and the
Action Wheelers for boys from the other flyer), but seeing them together
compounded the problem for me (that, and the fact it was ~1am, but I
still have a similar reaction right now, mid-afternoon).
My problem is that it was the case, and may still be, that girls that
are interested in technology are discouraged. The Lego catalog may
only be one little bit, but a little bit here and a little bit there all
adds up into one big community attitude that girls are somehow less
capable when it comes to computers and that they shouldn't be interested
in the first place. Lego constantly make a big deal out of encouraging
children's development and creativity and I don't feel it's appropriate
for them to then stereotype in this manner. Why can't they just say
"children" or something else altogether, why not just "The ultimate
programming challenge."?
I've been right through the "you're a girl, you shouldn't be interested,
boys are just smarter when it comes to computers" thing right through my
teens, right up until university, and it was one big battle all the way,
on no basis other than my gender. It makes me mad to think that it may
possibly still be that way and it's certainly no attitude that children
should be exposed to.
Deidre
drb@tasmail.com
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