Beyond biology: The importance of cultural factors in explaining gender disparities in STEM preferences

Gender disparities in participation in many STEM fields, particularly computer science, engineering, and physics, remain prevalent in Western societies. Stewart-Williams and Halsey contend that an important contributor to these disparities is gender differences in career-related preferences that are driven partly by biology. We argue that Stewart-Williams and Halsey understate the influence of cultural factors in shaping these preferences. We provide evidence for an important and overlooked cultural factor that contributes to gender disparities in computer science, engineering, and physics: masculine defaults. Masculine defaults exist when cultures value and reward traits and characteristics associated with the male gender role and see them as standard ( Cheryan & Markus, 2020 ). We provide examples of how changing computer science, engineering, and physics cultures can decrease gender disparities in participation. Finally, we discuss policy implications, specifically the importance of (1) recognizing that preferences for STEM are malleable and (2) addressing exclusionary cultures of STEM fields. Recognizing and changing exclusionary STEM cultures are important for creating a society that is more just and equitable.

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Male Gender Role Conflict and Willingness to Seek Counseling

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e685322007-001 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Erin L. Pederson ◽

David L. Vogel

Keyword(s):

Gender Role ◽

Role Conflict ◽

Gender Role Conflict ◽

Male Gender ◽

Willingness To Seek Counseling ◽

Male Gender Role

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Multicultural coping: Chinese Canadian adolescents, male gender role conflict, and psychological distress.

Psychology of Men & Masculinity ◽

10.1037/1524-9220.7.2.83 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 83-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Stephen R. Wester ◽

Ben C. H. Kuo ◽

David L. Vogel

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Gender Role ◽

Role Conflict ◽

Gender Role Conflict ◽

Male Gender ◽

Male Gender Role ◽

Chinese Canadian

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Rape myth acceptance, male gender role norms, attitudes towards women, and psychopathic traits in a military sample

Personality and Individual Differences ◽

10.1016/j.paid.2019.03.005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 144 ◽

pp. 125-131

Author(s):

Alexa DeLisle ◽

Hannah C. Walsh ◽

Pamela M. Holtz ◽

Jennifer Callahan ◽

Craig S. Neumann

Keyword(s):

Gender Role ◽

Psychopathic Traits ◽

Rape Myth Acceptance ◽

Male Gender ◽

Rape Myth ◽

Male Gender Role ◽

Role Norms ◽

Gender Role Norms ◽

Myth Acceptance

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Changing men's male gender-role attitudes by applying the elaboration likelihood model of attitude change

Sex Roles ◽

10.1007/bf01548253 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 35 (9-10) ◽

pp. 563-580 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jeff E. Brooks-Harris ◽

Martin Heesacker ◽

Cristina Mejia-Millan

Keyword(s):

Gender Role ◽

Attitude Change ◽

Gender Role Attitudes ◽

Elaboration Likelihood Model ◽

Male Gender ◽

Elaboration Likelihood ◽

Likelihood Model ◽

Male Gender Role

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Working with the masculine mystique: Male gender role conflict, counseling self-efficacy, and the training of male psychologists.

Professional Psychology Research and Practice ◽

10.1037/0735-7028.33.4.370 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 370-376 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Stephen R. Wester ◽

David L. Vogel

Keyword(s):

Gender Role ◽

Role Conflict ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Gender Role Conflict ◽

Male Gender ◽

Conflict Counseling ◽

Male Gender Role

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Male pseudohermaphroditism due to 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency: gender reassignment in early infancy

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/acta.0.1120238 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 112 (2) ◽

pp. 238-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

David J. Gross ◽

Hedi Landau ◽

Gertrude Kohn ◽

Amicur Farkas ◽

Eyas Elrayyes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gender Role ◽

Positive Family History ◽

Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase ◽

Male Gender ◽

Skeletal Maturation ◽

Height Velocity ◽

Male Pseudohermaphroditism ◽

Arab Population ◽

Gender Reassignment ◽

Male Gender Role

Abstract. Male pseudohermaphroditism due to 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) deficiency has a high prevalence within the Arab population of the Gaza strip and is characterised by marked virilization at puberty, leading in many cases to the spontaneous adoption of a male gender role. As a result of this, parents of 7 affected male infants (aged 1– 10 months) born with female phenotype requested early gender reassignment. Diagnosis was suspected in 5 on the basis of a positive family history, but confirmed in all cases by the finding of low to normal testosterone levels (30–184 ng/dl) with high Δ4-androstenedione levels (188–808 ng/dl), after hCG. Treatment with im testosterone oenanthate (25–50 mg/dose) was given in one to three 3-months courses and penile size was increased into the normal range without evoking a significant increase in height velocity or skeletal maturation. Five patients underwent the first stage of male genitoplasty between 2 and 3 years of age. This consisted of bilateral orchidopexy, chordee release and penile lengthening – yielding finally an anatomically normal-sized and shaped penis. Androgen responsive male pseudohermaphroditism due to 17β-HSD deficiency or a similar defect and diagnosed in infancy should be treated as soon as possible with systemic testosterone before considering any sex change, and in preparation for male genitoplasty. Early gender reassignment according to genetic and gonadal sex is probably the management of choice for these cases since this may result in a normal adjustment to the male gender role, particularly after puberty.

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