<html> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple id="role_body" = bottomMargin=7 leftmargin=7 topmargin=7 rightMargin=7> <div class=Section1> Wim, Not to be confrontational....But, when you make general, sweeping statements about = how women do or don’t behave, that IS being sexist!!! =   If you = were to make the same sort of generalities about a minority group, I think you = could see how that would be equally as misguided.   Perhaps = the observations you’ve made about your wife, may just have to do with = your wife and not all women, as you suggested.  There are many reasons = why she may have preferred tuning.  There are many reasons why she may be mechanically challenged...one of which is that the toys and = opportunities marketed for girls offer them little in that direction.  I had no brothers = and I never got to have all the “cool” toys and games that all the = boys got.  (At least to me they were way cooler.)  Back then, = parents thought they shouldn’t cross over the gender lines with those = things.  Changing diapers on baby dolls was the most mechanical thing some of us = got to do.  And if you take a stroll down the aisles of Toys R Us, = you’ll see that it hasn’t changed all that much.    When = young girls are encouraged to have their own tools, build things, fix things, take = things apart....they are having some of the basic experiences that begin to = develop mechanical reasoning.  At least in this area, things have begun to = change.  It is the attitudes of those of us making decisions for young women that = still need to change.    I kindly = suggest to you, Wim, that you might re-examine your thinking about such = things.  Step up to the 21st century.  A lot of us are here!  = :>) Respectfully, jeannie   <div> Jeannie Grassi, RPT <a = href="mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net">mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net</a>= </div>   <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center = style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From:</spa= n> caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Wimblees@aol.com Sent: Saturday, January = 21, 2006 3:36 PM To: caut@ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] = Differences? </div>   <div> <div> In a message dated 1/20/2006 10:49:27 P.M. Central Standard Time, = jim_busby@byu.edu writes: </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid blue = 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> A serious = question here; I’ve got three daughters and a son who have learned to do quite a = bit of piano work. The girls all love to do tedious shop work but HATE to tune. = The boy loves to tune but doesn’t like shop work all that much. I just thought it was their personalities until I started having students work = here at BYU. Seems the same applies. I don’t want to come across as sexist = in any way, but I want to understand why. All the female students seem to excel = more at the shop skills, but seem to dislike tuning. It seems harder for them = than the guys. They seem to be less aggressive and more perfectionists and = can hardly stand it if they don’t get it right NOW. There are other = teachers besides me so I don’t think my teaching style is to be blamed. I = guess the real question is, do women (physically, mentally…) have a = harder time learning to tune?? I really want to encourage more women to take up the = trade. (Help!)  </fo= nt> Jim Busby = BYU  </fo= nt> </blockquote> </div> <div> Jim</font= > </div> <div>  </f= ont> </div> <div> Women are perfectionist, and they do have a LOT more patience than men. Again, not to be sexist, but that is why they make good = secretaries. They catch all the mistakes their male bosses make. </div> <div>  </f= ont> </div> <div> But on the other side of that coin, 20 years ago I taught my wife to tune. She = did fine with that, but she is more or less mechanically challenged. She does not do well using tools. So when I tried = teaching her regulation and do minor repairs, it just didn't register with her. I think part of the reason is that she didn't do the same = thing within a couple of days. I could teach how to do one procedure, but = unless she could do it again within a week, she would forget what to = do.  I taught her how to do let off on a direct blow action. But when I tried = to show her the same thing on a drop action, it didn't register with her. The = same with making repairs. </div> <div>  </f= ont> </div> <div> Wim = </div> </div> </body> </html>