So can this be used as an argument against the idea that women hold fewer positions of power (and in context of HN, fewer tech positions) not because of institutional/societal sexism, but because they just don't desire them?
I don't think many of the there-needs-to-be-more-diversity crowd disagree with that. Their position is more nuanced than that, and of course, to be fair, the we-can't-make-things-have-diversity crowd is unfairly pigeonholed as being shut-up-women.
But in my reading of the paper's conclusion, women have less desire for promotions and power, but it's because they see those things as causing them strife. The we-need-more-diversity crowd believes that having more women in power is one way of alleviating a positive feedback loop.
To put it another way, here's another study that could be done: Women view walking alone at night equally attainable, but less desirable.
edit: corrected mistake of "negative feedback loop" to "positive" via lexcorvus: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10272694
I don't think many of the there-needs-to-be-more-diversity crowd disagree with that. Their position is more nuanced than that, and of course, to be fair, the we-can't-make-things-have-diversity crowd is unfairly pigeonholed as being shut-up-women.
But in my reading of the paper's conclusion, women have less desire for promotions and power, but it's because they see those things as causing them strife. The we-need-more-diversity crowd believes that having more women in power is one way of alleviating a positive feedback loop.
To put it another way, here's another study that could be done: Women view walking alone at night equally attainable, but less desirable.
edit: corrected mistake of "negative feedback loop" to "positive" via lexcorvus: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10272694