In a message dated 02/16/2000 11:33:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> The weird part is that at least in architecture, they seem to be
>  disproportionately female.  How did that happen?  And what does it mean?
Is
> it typical of your gender to be motivated by what the built record will say
> about us, and mine that I am first drawn to the problem solving, the dirt,
the
> danger and the beer?  And does it matter?

1) Perhaps more women may be attracted to the HP programs because they are
coming from a liberal arts background, and want/need the HP degree to get
work in the field?
2)The salaries of many entry-level, non-technical HP jobs (like mine) are not
high enough to support a family?
3) More women like beer these days?

I can only speak for myself really. My first taste of historic preservation
was at Penn State. My Pennsylvania architecture class was mainly in the
field, and my first project was to install a window in a shed. I got to use
all sorts of cool tools. For a nerd like me, it was a real revelation. My
present from my teacher at the end of class was a box holding two signed
shims, since I failed Shimming 101 (and I still have 'em sitting in my office
today.)

For me, the dirt and the work were the best part of the class. To this day,
my favorite part of my job is going through old houses, and researching their
architectural chronology. The crappier and dirtier they are, especially the
basements and the attics, the better I like it. And of course, the beer and
discussion that inevitably follow don't hurt either.

But I never claimed that I was normal.

-Heidi