I am surprised that
Mattel's Barbie isn't spending all her free time on an analyst's couch.
As a society we have heaped a heavy load of guilt onto her plastic
shoulders. Two readers address Barbie's newest occupation as a computer
engineer, and I take issue with both ("It's
Hard to Take Barbie Seriously as a Computer Nerd," Letters, April
24).
The first writer, Alexis
Schroeder, states, "The big question is whether this [computer engineer
Barbie] doll will encourage more young girls to explore math and science
as they enter middle school and high school." A better question might
be: Why would we depend upon an 11½-inch piece of molded plastic to do a
job that parents, teachers and other role models should be doing?
Female or male, a child's
self-image develops from her or his own successes, failures and neutral
experiences, as well as interactions with adults and peers. Were we as
a society to provide our children with the level of role-modeling that
we seem to expect from Barbie, our prisons wouldn't be overcrowded and
our educational system would be thriving. Let's recognize Barbie for
what she is and allow her to do her real job: being a doll that provides
fun for millions of girls.
As for the second letter,
reader Steve Schupbach proposes that most women just don't like
engineering because they find it to be "icky," "dirty" and "sweaty."
Really? I would suggest looking at other careers traditionally dominated
by women: registered nurses, home-health aides, childcare workers,
housekeepers and maids, to name just a few. Certainly these jobs require
a fair amount of icky, dirty, sweaty work.
Marjorie Isaacson
Hollister, Calif.
I bought my little girl
Legos and My Little Ponies, and now she's an engineer.
Brent Marsh
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 