[retrogradeorbit]

I don't disagree with you at all. There are a huge amount of people who do disagree with you, though. You just commented that you didn't know anyone pushing such a narrative. And that surprised me because it's everywhere. So I thought I'd just flesh out that dominant point of view so that you could identify it in the society around you.

What I think this study shows (and its not the first) is that it debunks the notion that discrimination is the only reason for any differences in gender representation. If a particular field does not have a 50/50 gender split, then that must be wholly explainable by discrimination. This study shows that this is not the case. There is a component of the unequal split that is based on personal preference. And that personal preference has a biological component. This idea is taboo.

[starbeast]

I generally take the view that any time you are dealing with a biological system, whether it be a single cell or the global economy, should you find yourself in a quandary where you are wondering if something is caused by this thing or that thing (nature/nurture being the classic), the answer is nearly always both, plus a whole bunch of some other stuff you hadn't even begun to consider. Biology is horrendously complex and messy, and anything built on biology is even messier.

[jahaja]

> it debunks the notion that discrimination is the only reason for any differences in gender representation.

Which is also a notion that nobody has ever argued but suits polarized demagoguery.

[rohit2412]

I think the above notion is the biggest component of the gender pay gap.

[jahaja]

Could you clarify what you mean please? I'm arguing against the imagined notion (which is also regarding representation, not pay).

[rohit2412]

Well, that notion is certainly used to argue about gender pay gap, where figures like 77 cents to the dollar are touted of.

For representation, if you increase the scope of the notion from "discrimination is the only reason" to "discrimination and unconscious social biases are the only reason", it certainly applies.

[jahaja]

I'm not talking about pay gap and that's an expanded notion that I haven't talked about either.