[JohnHaugeland]

I am glad to know there are others who see it the way I do.

I draw great inspiration from people who do not have my gender, my race, or several other role model limiting demographic factors.

I feel very sad for people who are set up to not have the advantage of looking up to everyone of value.

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Edit: why is this being downvoted? Is it disagreeable to say "I have learned from people unlike me?" Are we now saying it's bad to argue for inclusion?

It's a polite, friendly comment, stating a positive opinion that says "I think people of every gender, race, etc are of value and should be available."

I feel like people are using downvote to show personal frustration.

[king_jester]

The reason why you are being downvoted is that the notion of "I think people of every gender, race, etc are of value and should be available." doesn't really address the issue of why someone who is in a minority in STEM would seek out someone like themselves as a role model.

People have value, but we can't deny that for some people finding someone like themselves in a particular field is very difficult. Those people certainly can and do learn from others, but finding someone that has faced the same issue and challenges as themselves is very helpful in not only exploring an issue, but also in counteracting stereotype threat.

[JohnHaugeland]

"The reason why you are being downvoted is that the notion of "I think people of every gender, race, etc are of value and should be available." doesn't really address the issue of why someone who is in a minority in STEM would seek out someone like themselves as a role model."

This reads to me like

"You are being downvoted because your opinion doesn't address the original question you asked."

I have been polite, friendly, and reasonable. You guys are punishing an opinion about increasing inclusiveness because it goes against your norm.

[king_jester]

> "You are being downvoted because your opinion doesn't address the original question you asked."

Except your original post said:

"I don't understand why we all talk about the gender problem in engineering, then continue it by isolating female students from male teachers."

The gender problem in STEM isn't that women have a hard time finding men as peers and role models, its that women have a hard time finding women as peers and role models. You started out by misidentifying the problem in the first place, this is why your subsequent posts are downvoted because you are creating a straw man out of the OP's request to find a woman in STEM for their daughter to meet.