Only 5.3% of US welders are women. After years as a professor, I became one
A former writing professor’s account of retraining as a welder prompts a broader look at why only a small fraction of U.S. welders are women and what they face on job sites. Commenters debate whether crude banter, sexualized product names, and customers doubting women’s competence are genuine barriers or just part of a rough blue‑collar culture that treats all “outsiders” harshly, including sensitive men and white‑collar transplants. The exchange widens into questions of class, workplace safety, masculinity, and how far professional environments should change to become more inclusive without losing their existing social norms.
Sexism vs. general blue‑collar culture
- Many argue the author is experiencing what everyone (especially men) gets in trades: hazing, skepticism, and “prove yourself” dynamics.
- Others counter that context matters: in a 95% male field, gendered comments and customers refusing to deal with women are qualitatively different and more dangerous.
- Some say the article over‑reads sexism into behavior driven by class or general assholery rather than gender; others say that misses women’s lived experience.
Banter, bullying, and “tests”
- Strong split on rough shop talk:
- One side: banter is a bonding mechanism and an informal test of how people handle stress; “if you can’t take it, you’re not cut out for the trades.”
- Other side: it’s often just bullying and hierarchy enforcement based on immutable traits; calling it a “test” is post‑hoc justification.
- Several note the line between friendly ribbing and abuse is thin and depends heavily on power and in‑group status.
Class and culture gaps
- Repeated theme: this is as much about class as gender—a “posh academic” encountering working‑class norms.
- Blue‑collar spaces are described as more direct, less “sanitized,” with open talk about sex and attraction; white‑collar/academic spaces as anxious about offense and heavily filtered.
- Some find blue‑collar camaraderie refreshing; others find it exhausting or hostile.
Safety, health, and macho norms
- Multiple comments highlight poor safety culture in welding and adjacent trades: resistance to PPE, toxic fumes, risky tool use.
- Several stress long‑term health damage they or relatives suffered, arguing that “macho” disregard for safety is pointless and deadly.
- Union environments are cited as likelier to enforce better safety, though not universally.
Gender norms, attraction, and career choices
- Debate over why women avoid trades: hostile culture vs. preferences shaped by dating markets and traditional roles.
- Some argue women’s dating preferences for higher‑status providers and men’s for beauty make harsh, low‑status, body‑damaging jobs less attractive to women.
- Others push back, emphasizing socialization, structural constraints, and the need to normalize men taking more caregiving roles.
Women in trades and tech
- Several note parallels: women are rare not just in welding but also in tech; both environments can be hostile, just in different ways (crude vs. “robotic” prejudice).
- Some women in the thread report feeling alienated by male‑dominated, condescending discussion cultures—including on HN itself.
Craft, competence, and evaluation
- A subthread critiques the weld photos in the article; some say they’re sloppy, others insist appearance ≠ structural quality without proper testing.
- More general point: in both trades and tech, people quickly judge others’ competence, sometimes unfairly, often with strong ego involved.