scholarly journals ‘It Is Time to Operate Like a Woman’: A Corpus Based Study of Representation of Women in STEM Fields in Social Media

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Reem Alkhammash
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
And Function

This study explores the discourse of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or medicine (STEM) fields produced by Twitter users on social media, with a particular focus on language usage and function in this discourse. The exploration of the women in STEM discourse was achieved by collecting a body of tweets using popular hashtags addressing women in STEM from the last week of October 2017. Following a corpus-based approach, this study analyzes the most frequent evaluative adjectives and 4-grams. Results from the analysis of evaluative adjectives show that Twitter users represent women in STEM fields positively by using positive adjectives such as great, amazing, inspirational etc. Furthermore, the analysis of the most frequent 4-grams reveals that Twitter users employ hashtags such as #ilooklikeasurgeon and #womeninSTEM to promote the work of women in STEM fields, show their appreciation of women working and studying in STEM and challenge prevalent gender stereotypes of STEM professions. It was found that the production of women in STEM discourse by most Twitter users has contributed to increasing the strength of women in the STEM community in social media, evidenced by their practices of advocacy, networking and challenging gender biases online. The discourse of women in STEM in social media is an example of discursive activism that focuses on the larger dialogue of women in STEM and highlights dominant forms of sexism and gendered stereotypes of women’s work in male dominated professions.

Boosting the Sustainable Representation of Women in STEM With Evidence-Based Policy Initiatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-58
Author(s):  
Corinne A. Moss-Racusin ◽  
Evava S. Pietri ◽  
Jojanneke van der Toorn ◽  
Leslie Ashburn-Nardo
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Specific Policy ◽  
National Competitiveness ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

Women are missing from Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, undermining intellectual inclusivity, meritocracy goals, national competitiveness, and high-quality advances. Solutions require not only hiring more women, but boosting their sustainable representation (i.e., their lasting, substantial presence and valued engagement). Evidence-based policies can shift organizational culture, enabling women’s full and durable participation. The present review presents (1) numerous causes of women’s underrepresentation in STEM and (2) evidence-based interventions to tackling these causes. Specific policy initiatives (derived from the scientific evidence) would promote the sustainable representation of women in STEM.

scholarly journals Ethnic minority and majority female academic staff members perspectives on women in stem in Serbia

Sociologija ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-165
Author(s):  
Karolina Lendák-Kabók
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
And Mathematics

The paper aims to fill the gap in the scholarly literature regarding the way in which the intersection of ethnicity, gender and scientific fields shapes women?s narratives about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields in a multiethnic environment in Serbia. A qualitative study was conducted, capitalizing on in-depth, semi-structured of twenty semi-structured interviews conducted with university professors from ethnic minority and majority comminties, working in STEM and social sciences and humanities (SSH) field of studies in two state universiteis in Serbia. The findings indicate that ethnic minority female professors from STEM are less open to female students and colleagues in their domains and do not see the need for more women in STEM. This attitude can be traced back to these women having to overcome a ?double jeopardy? and ?symbolic violence? in a very male-dominated field, as they belong to ethnic minority and hat to deal with the lack of or with the denial of recources within institutions. Equal abilities of men and women in STEM was a topic occurring mostly in the narratives of the majority women who mostly adopted a masculine patterns of behavior and tried to become ?one of the boys?. Both minority and majority women agreed that deeply rooted gender stereotypes prevent women from choosing a career in STEM. The research identified the need for more inclusive education programs on all levels and for female role models to steer more women towards STEM.

scholarly journals Do Family Privileges Bring Gender Equality? Instrumentalism and (De) Stereotyping of STEM Career Aspiration among Chinese Adolescents

Social Forces ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-254
Author(s):  
Ran Liu
Keyword(s):  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Career Aspiration ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Engineering Technology ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
At Home

Abstract When studying the persistent underrepresentation of a women in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) fields across different countries, some evidence shows a paradox of affluence: gender differences in STEM aspirations and outcomes are found to be more pronounced in more developed, postindustrial countries and among students from more affluent families. The argument of “indulging gendered selves” provides an explanation: students in more affluent settings are less compelled to pursue lucrative STEM careers and more encouraged to indulge gendered passions as a form of self-expression. Extending this argument, this paper uses nationally representative data from China to examine the effect of family privileges on adolescents’ STEM aspirations. Two distinct mechanisms are identified: instrumentalism, which considers the instrumental calculation of material security and economic returns in developing career aspirations, and (de) stereotyping, which considers whether family privileges cultivate or alleviate gender stereotypes. Findings show that less privileged girls such as ethnic minorities and those having rural hukou tend to have higher instrumental motivation to learn math, indicating an instrumentalism mechanism; on the other hand, girls with privileges such as higher parental education and more books at home enjoy more gender-egalitarian values, indicating a de-stereotyping mechanism. Moreover, Internet access at home as a privilege can foster gender stereotypes and decrease students’ motivation to learn math, and the latter association is stronger for girls than boys. Results suggest the importance of distinguishing the instrumentalism and (de) stereotyping mechanisms and the need for educational programs to refute gender stereotypes.

scholarly journals From “Her” Problem to “Our” Problem: Using an Individual Lens Versus a Social-Structural Lens to Understand Gender Inequity in STEM

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathi N. Miner ◽  
Jessica M. Walker ◽  
Mindy E. Bergman ◽  
Vanessa A. Jean ◽  
Adrienne Carter-Sowell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Gender Inequity ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gender Parity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Structural ◽  
Societal Level ◽  
And Mathematics

Increasing the representation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is one of our nation's most pressing imperatives. As such, there has been increased lay and scholarly attention given to understanding the causes of women's underrepresentation in such fields. These explanations tend to fall into two main groupings: individual-level (i.e., her) explanations and social-structural (i.e., our) explanations. These two perspectives offer different lenses for illuminating the causes of gender inequity in STEM and point to different mechanisms by which to gain gender parity in STEM fields. In this article, we describe these two lenses and provide three examples of how each lens may differentially explain gender inequity in STEM. We argue that the social-structural lens provides a clearer picture of the causes of gender inequity in STEM, including how gaining gender equity in STEM may best be achieved. We then make a call to industrial/organizational psychologists to take a lead in addressing the societal-level causes of gender inequality in STEM.

scholarly journals Perceptions of stereotypes applied to women who publicly communicate their STEM work

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Merryn McKinnon ◽  
Christine O’Connell
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Change ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
Predominantly Female ◽  
And Mathematics

AbstractGender biases and stereotypes are prevalent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, which can create obstacles for the attraction, retention and progression of girls and women to STEM studies and careers. There are many initiatives which are used to attempt to address these biases and stereotypes, including the use of visible role models. This study explores the perceptions of the stereotypes applied to female STEM professionals who publicly speak about their work in both academic and non-academic settings. Using workshops with over 300 participants, predominantly female STEM professionals, from over 25 different cultural backgrounds, the results showed women who publicly communicate their work are likely to be stereotyped as ‘bitchy’, ‘bossy’, and ‘emotional’—often by their own gender. These findings suggest that women may be in a more vulnerable position when communicating publicly about their work, which could have implications for them participating fully in their careers. It may also have implications for programs which use role models to address prevailing STEM stereotypes. Systematic cultural and institutional change is needed in STEM fields to address the underlying bias and negative stereotypes facing women. However, it should be ensured that the intended solutions to facilitate this change are not compounding the problem.

scholarly journals Mathematics and Gender Stereotypes in One Jewish and One Druze Grade 5 Classroom in Israel

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mittelberg ◽  
Osnat Rozner ◽  
Helen Forgasz
Keyword(s):  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Mathematics Classroom ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Qualitative Case Studies ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Grade 5 ◽  
Gendered Patterns ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Mathematics

We report findings from qualitative case studies of two grade 5 classrooms in Israel, one Jewish and one Druze. The aim was to identify classroom factors contributing to the differences in the gendered patterns of mathematics outcomes for Jewish and Arab Israeli students. Marked differences were found in the teachers' gender-related interactions with students, and their beliefs and expectations of boys' and girls' mathematical capabilities. The Jewish teacher held conventional gender-stereotyped beliefs of male mathematical superiority. The Druze teacher believed that girls required affirmative action to overcome implied gender biases in favour of males in the Druze community. The findings support earlier research and theoretical perspectives on gender-related issues in the mathematics classroom. In particular, when teachers hold gender-biased beliefs and expectations, students' classroom experiences and mathematics learning outcomes are impacted along gender lines.

Using Video to Increase Gender Bias Literacy Toward Women in Science

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evava S. Pietri ◽  
Corinne A. Moss-Racusin ◽  
John F. Dovidio ◽  
Dipika Guha ◽  
Gina Roussos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Bias ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Mathematics Interventions ◽  
Gender Inequity ◽  
Unfair Treatment ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Expert Interview ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
And Mathematics

Despite evidence that gender biases contribute to the persistent underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, interventions that enhance gender bias literacy about these fields remain rare. The current research tested the effectiveness of two theoretically grounded sets of videos at increasing gender bias literacy as characterized by (a) awareness of bias, (b) knowledge of gender inequity, (c) feelings of efficacy at being able to notice bias, and (d) recognition and confrontation of bias across situations. The narrative videos utilized entertaining stories to illustrate gender bias, while the expert interview videos discussed the same bias during an interview with a psychology professor. The narrative videos increased participants’ immersion in the story and identification with characters, whereas the expert interviews promoted logical thinking and perceptions of being knowledgeable about gender bias facts. Compared with control videos, the narrative and expert interview videos increased awareness of bias (Experiments 1 and 2) and influenced knowledge of gender inequity, self-efficacy beliefs, and the recognition of bias in everyday situations (Experiment 2). However, only the expert interview videos affected participants’ intentions to confront unfair treatment. Additional online materials for this article are available to PWQ subscribers on PWQ’s website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/supplemental

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