Merging dualities: How convergence points in art and science can (re)engage women with the STEM field

How can the interweaving of knowledge silos help to engage girls who are becoming disinterested in science? This study describes how convergence points in research practices within the fields of art and science can mitigate gender stereotypes associated with the STEM field. A case study of four women working at the intersection of art and science revealed common aspects of their practices: an appreciation of the natural world, a sense of aesthetics, a drawing practice and a reliance on meaningful research questions, suggesting that these can act as bridges between both fields of study. Keywords: Arts; Education; Art-science; STEM; STEAM; Leaky pipeline; Gender; Motivation; Stereotype threat; Self-efficacy; Transdisciplinarity; Nature; Drawing; Aesthetics. Résumé : Comment l’interrelation des réservoirs de connaissance peut-elle contribuer à motiver les jeunes femmes qui se désintéressent de la science ? Cette étude relate comment les points de convergence des diverses pratiques de recherche dans le domaine des arts et de la science peuvent atténuer les stéréotypes de genre associés à la filière STIM. L’étude du cas de quatre femmes œuvrant au point de convergence de l’art et de la science a mis en évidence les aspects communs de leurs pratiques : l’appréciation du monde naturel, un sens de l’esthétique, une pratique du dessin et l’utilisation de questions de recherche pertinentes, ce qui laisse supposer certains ponts entre ces deux domaines d’étude. Mots-clés : arts, éducation, science et art, STIM, STIAM, tuyau percé, genre, motivation, menace du stéréotype, auto-efficacité, transdisciplinarité, nature, dessin, esthétique.

Understanding the leaky pipeline system: behavioural ecological approach to the social marketing of women thriving in STEM careers

Purpose This paper aims to explore the complexity of the “leaky pipeline” of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the intriguing contexts where there are a high number of STEM graduates but a low number of women working in these fields. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted in-depth interviews with eight STEM “leavers” and eight “persisters” in Turkey to understand the multi-level influences on their career paths. Findings The behavioural ecological model is applied to enrich the understanding of women’s attrition from STEM. The authors found a complex system of actors, relationships and influences that impact the negotiations of women’s felt misfit/love of their STEM career and changing self-actualisation. Practical implications The authors highlight that social marketers should consider the complex influences on even the most individualistic-looking decisions to produce systemic change. Originality/value This paper deepens the use of the behavioural ecological model in the ways that the layers of motivator and demotivator influences interact with women’s internal negotiations of career choice. The paper integrates classic theories (self-actualisation (Maslow, 1943) and two-factor model (Herzberg et al., 1959)) within systems social marketing.

Knowledge is em(power)ing: Historically underrepresented groups benefit from exposure to information about advanced degrees in psychology

Despite the growing interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educationand careers, the “leaky pipeline” continues to disproportionally exclude underrepresented minorities from STEM fields. One feature of the leaky pipeline is unequal access to guidance surrounding graduate education and careers in STEM fields. Disparities in representation can be diminished by making this guidance more accessible, which may be particularly beneficial at the transition from undergraduate to post-graduate research experience and education. Here, we sought to investigate the value of large-scale, open access programming as a mechanism for achieving this objective, by using survey data from a 2020 Yale University Research Psychology Bootcamp as a case study. We found that this programming increased confidence and understanding of how to navigate the field of research psychology in all survey respondents, with a targeted benefit for Black and First Generation/Low-Income participants. Based on these findings, we argue that large-scale, open-access programming offers a unique and practical utility toward eliminating disparities in STEM higher education and STEM fields.

The pregnancy drop: How teaching evaluations penalize pregnant faculty

The “leaky pipeline” and the “maternal wall” have for decades described the loss of women in STEM and the barriers faced by working mothers. Of the studies examining the impact of motherhood or pregnancy on faculty in higher education, most focus on colleagues’ attitudes towards mothers; few studies explore pregnancy specifically, only a handful examine student evaluations in particular, and none include female faculty in engineering. This study is the first to compare student evaluations across fields from female faculty when they were pregnant against when they were not. Two scenarios were considered: (1) the lived experiences of faculty who taught classes while pregnant and while not pregnant and (2) an experiment in which students submitted teaching evaluations for an actress whom half the students believed was pregnant while the other half did not. Among faculty respondents, women of colour received lower scores while pregnant and these scores lowered further when women were in engineering and/or had severe symptoms. Depending on their demographics, students who participated in the experiment were awarded teaching evaluation scores that differed when they believed the instructor was pregnant. Findings suggest that in fields with fewer women, the maternal wall is amplified and there is a unique intersectional experience of it during pregnancy. These findings may be useful for Tenure and Promotion committees to understand and therefore account for pregnancy bias in teaching evaluations.

Stemming the ‘Leaky Pipeline’: an investigation of the relationship between work–family conflict and women’s career progression in academic medicine

BackgroundEven though women outnumber men enrolled in medical school, making up 59% of entrants in the UK, they are significantly under-represented in academic medicine and senior positions. In the UK, 28.6% of academics overall are women. In the USA, while 51% of instructors are women, only 20% make it through the ‘leaky pipeline’ to become professors. One attributable factor is work–family conflict. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between work–family conflict and women’s career progression in academic medicine, and to provide a model to inform and change perceptions and practice in order to improve the ‘leaky pipeline’.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed to identify qualitative studies which investigated this relationship. Studies were critically appraised, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Themes identified in the data were used to develop a model to build on the understanding of this issue.FindingsThe findings of this research highlighted two main themes, one related to perceptions of gender (intrinsic or extrinsic), the way it impacts on work–family conflict and its relationship to women’s career progression. The second theme relates to structures which hinder or support women’s ability to have work–life balance. A model was developed that represents the inter-relationship between these factors.InterpretationChanges in both organisational culture and individuals’ perception in regard to gender roles, especially of those in leadership, are necessary to create an environment where the best talent in academic medicine is selected regardless of gender.

Diversity matters: the other doctor within the Dutch academic healthcare system

IntroductionOver the past year, there has been a worldwide increase in the focus on systemic discrimination and inequitable practices within different societies, particularly concerning race and ethnicity. The inherent (experience of) inequity in racism is notonly limited to individuals but also found in different domains of societal structures, including healthcare and academia. In academia and healthcare organisations, junior Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) doctors and students regularly find themselves caught between the leaky pipeline phenomenon and hierarchically dependent positions in academic healthcare settings. Voicing their experiences after such encounters is neither an option nor a choice they can do without repercussions. The prejudices, stigmas, implicit biases present within these environments result in segregated practices, where BAME doctors become the ‘other’ doctor (otherism), and based on their religion, ethnicity, migrant background or physical features are boxed into a specific group or category.Reflections & recommendationsThe outcome of this exercise (re-) emphasised that more improvement in the Dutch healthcare systems concerning stigmas and biases towards race and ethnicity are needed to promote the inclusion of future BAME doctors and students. A pivotal turn is urgently needed to repair the racial stigmas and biases that have distorted the image of BAME doctors/students, limiting their academic and professional progress. By structurally implementing focused strategies to promote inclusivity, the current gap within healthcare and the participation between non- BAME and BAME-doctors/students can be bridged, inevitably leading to better healthcare services, safer learning environments and a balanced representation of our multicultural societies in healthcare.We argue that increased self-reflection from such critical inquiry will ultimately result in clear and objective understandings of (pre) existent inequitable practices in our societies.

Sealing the leaky pipeline: attracting and retaining women in cardiology

Multiple publications have addressed the under-representation of women in the cardiology workforce, and indeed in leadership positions and procedural subspecialities, despite gender parity among medical school graduates. The work–life balance does not appear to be the only determining factor since other specialties such as obstetrics have a adequate representation of women. Vlachadis Castles et al report the results from their online survey of 452 female doctors (both trainees and specialists) from Australia and New Zealand, 13% of whom were women in cardiology. Female cardiologists reported working longer hours and more on-call commitments; significantly fewer women in cardiology reported a balanced life, or that cardiology was family friendly or female friendly, despite a greater earning capacity and an overwhelming majority agreeing that they were professionally challenged whilst intellectually stimulated in their jobs. Our editorial addresses the deterrents to women in cardiology seeking leadership opportunities in all areas including academic, administrative and research positions.