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SILICON
SILIC
CHIP
www.siliconchip.com.au
Publisher/Editor
Nicholas Vinen
Technical Editor
John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.)
Technical Staff
Jim Rowe, B.A., B.Sc.
Bao Smith, B.Sc.
Tim Blythman, B.E., B.Sc.
Nicolas Hannekum, Dip. Elec. Tech.
Technical Contributor
Duraid Madina, B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD
Art Director & Production Manager
Ross Tester
Reader Services
Ann Morris
Advertising Enquiries
Glyn Smith
Phone (02) 9939 3295
Mobile 0431 792 293
glyn<at>siliconchip.com.au
Regular Contributors
Dave Thompson
David Maddison B.App.Sc. (Hons 1),
PhD, Grad.Dip.Entr.Innov.
Geoff Graham
Associate Professor Graham Parslow
Ian Batty
Cartoonist
Brendan Akhurst
Founding Editor (retired)
Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD
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Editorial Viewpoint
Why is electronics
male-dominated?
One of the things that struck me as odd since I
started working for Silicon Chip is just how large a
percentage of our readers and customers are male. I
don’t have an exact figure, but I would guess that it
is well over 90%. Why is that?
Perhaps my perspective is a bit skewed because my
primary mentor when I started dabbling in electronics
is a female friend. And in addition to having a decent
knowledge of electronics, she is also a capable computer programmer and
operator. So I guess I expected to come across more women in the electronics
field than I have done while running the magazine.
This imbalance in electronics hobbyists is something which Jaycar’s
owner, Gary Johnston, is attempting to address with their Sparkle Stitch kit.
We have a review of that kit (and some of their related products) starting on
page 104 of this issue.
It’s a commendable effort, and the fashion aspect of it may well appeal
to many girls. But I had to wonder, as I evaluated the kit, why we have to
create specific kits for girls. Shouldn’t they be just as interested in ‘standard’
electronics kits? I think that most of our designs and projects should have
a broad appeal.
I know that there are some very talented high school students, both male
and female, building our kits (and related electronics) for HSC projects. But
it seems that after high school, women don’t pick up the hobby all that often
(or take up electronics, computing and engineering-related careers, for that
matter).
We also know that girls do very well in high school subjects like mathematics
and physics. These subjects require the same sort of logical thought needed
to analyse and design circuits. There’s also an artistic aspect to PCB layout
which I find very pleasing, quite apart from the engineering of it.
And as electronics is something you can do as a hobby, there’s nothing to
stop anyone (short of physical disability) from getting into it, regardless of
gender. So I guess what I am saying is that it’s a fascinating field, and there
ought to be a lot more females who find themselves attracted to it than we
see in reality. I don’t have an explanation for that discrepancy.
My daughters are too young to understand electronics just yet, but they
sure do seem to be fascinated by it. My one-year-old has already started
dismantling any device within her reach, and is clearly fascinated by mains
cords, plugs, printers, tablets, phones and anything with flashing lights that
is within her reach.
Will she retain that fascination when she grows older? I don’t know. I can’t
see any reason why she should not. I don’t want to push my kids into doing
what I do, but I certainly wouldn’t stop them and will provide them with
whatever they need to get into it, should they wish to do so.
Perhaps this is a generational thing, and the situation might change over
time, but I have a feeling that is not the case. It’s entirely possible that no
matter how hard we try to get girls and women into “STEM” type subjects,
most of them won’t be interested enough to stick with it. I hope that is not
the case, though.
If any readers have suggestions on how we can get girls interested in
electronics and, importantly, stay interested, I would love to hear them. We
publish so many different designs and projects that surely, many of them must
appeal. Is it just a matter of getting their attention, or do we have to do more?
Nicholas Vinen
24-26 Lilian Fowler Pl, Marrickville 2204
4
Silicon Chip
Australia’s electronics magazine
siliconchip.com.au
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