Women in Science: What's Stopping Them?

                For my final blog post, I want to explore what is stopping women from entering the STEM fields. For one, women may not like the “overly competitive” and “demanding” aspect of the sciences (Baker, 2011). Also, the road to receiving tenure can get in the way with a woman’s wish to start a family. It is obvious that careers in science are still geared towards men’s lifestyles rather than women’s. Women, if they wish to have children, have to factor that into their career choices because have a child is time-consuming and puts added pressure on their life (Baker, 2011).

                Thankfully, graduate schools have made improvements. A while ago, women were not even allowed to apply. Today, a good percentage (although still under a half) of women apply for tenure. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology proved that the College’s efforts to attract women teachers to the college was a success. These women educators, chosen specifically, are able to work with the College administrators on issues like “equity, hiring, (and) family” (Baker, 2011). Changes like this within a college may potentially bring more women into the academic sciences.

                Many organizations are advocating for women in sciences and working to make the career choice more available for women. More opportunities are becoming available for women to branch out within the sciences. Biologists can also work with the government or non-profit agencies. One female biologist chose to work in policy. While her peers who were working at universities felt the need to wait to have children, she was able to take on a four day work week, giving her the chance to start a family (Baker, 2011).

                Ultimately, working in the sciences is a demanding and time-consuming career choice, especially for those working in colleges and universities. Sacrifices have to be made in order to reach success. Unfortunately, the sacrifices women have to make (especially the decision to have a family) are often greater than the ones men have to make. Women should not shy away from working the sciences because, as the article mentions, there are other options within the scientific fields that allow women to have more time on their hands (Baker, 2011).

                The media example I chose is an interesting example that show three models that deal with women in the sciences. The models range from doing nothing, to complete change within the STEM fields. Interesting to note, the video does not state the speaker’s relationship to the topic she is discussing.

References:

Baker, B. (2011). Having a Life in Science. Bioscience, 61(6), 429-433. doi:10.1525/bio.2011.61.6.4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLHaAYYgGOg

Women in Engineering

                Engineering is still one of the career tracks that men still outnumber women in. Women have been gaining ground in areas like the physical sciences, but engineering is still, unfortunately, lagging behind. What is the reason for this?

                A longitudinal study was conducted about college-level female engineering students. The study was focused on these female engineering majors to determine why they chose to go into engineering. Interestingly, one of the variables taken into account was whether the women attended a single-gender high school or a co-educational high school. Men from single and co-educational high schools were studied as well to use as an example to compare to the women. The women who went to single-gender high schools listed in order the reasons they went into engineering: “1. I am good at maths…2. Exciting career opportunities…3. Encouraged by my parents” (Tully & Jacobs, 2010). On the other hand, women who went to co-educational high schools listed: “1. Exciting career opportunities…2. Good fit for my academic gifts…3. Academic prestige” (Tully & Jacobs, 2010).

                Both of the lists include “exciting career opportunities”, however, it is interesting to note that the number one choice of the single- gender high school women was that they believed they were good at math (Tully & Jacobs, 2010). The number three on that list stated that these women were supported by their parents (Tully & Jacobs, 2010). From my viewpoint, it appears as if the women who went to single-gendered high schools were more encouraged by the people in their environment to pursue engineering than the women who went to co-educational high schools.

                To add onto that idea, the men’s lists (for both single and co-educational high schools) were the same: “1.Exciting career opportunities…2. This is something that I always wanted to do…3. Good fit for my academic gifts” (Tully & Jacobs, 2010). Judging by the men’s lists, and the fact that they are the same, it seems that men tend to follow their interests. Number two on the list shows that men from both schools were interested in following their dreams. “This is something that I always wanted to do” showed up on neither of the women’s lists (Tully & Jacobs, 2010).

                What can be deduced from this study? It is obvious that men and women have different reasons for choosing the careers they want to pursue. Women from different types of schools may view certain career choices differently.

                The media example I chose this week is about recruiting women engineering students. It is good to know that there are programs out there designed to get women interested in traditionally male careers like engineering. 

 

Reference:

Tully, D. D., & Jacobs, B. B. (2010). Effects of single-gender mathematics classrooms on self-perception of mathematical ability and post secondary engineering paths: an Australian case study. European Journal of Engineering Education, 35(4), 455-467. doi:10.1080/03043797.2010.489940

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=capkcmWRjKs&feature=related

The Stigma of Being a Male Nurse

                Men have always been the doctors and women have always been the nurses. However, times are changing. More and more men are entering the field of nursing. There comes to be a certain stigma when a man tells others he is a nurse. Nurses are seen as nurturing the unwell and caring for them in more personal ways than doctors. Nurturing and caring have usually been characteristics stereotypically associated with women. With the increase in men entering the nursing profession, these stereotypes are being challenged. These men, who are breaking the tradition and going against the grain, often have many stereotypes to contend with.

                A study conducted was looking at the stigma of male nursing and the challenges men face when they become nurses. The study found that one of the big problems men often have to deal with is the problem of “touching.” Nursing is a very hands-on profession. Whether it be examining someone or comforting a sick patient, touching is an important part of nursing because it is a diagnostic tool and also a way to comfort another person. Male nurses, especially when dealing with female patients, may have to deal with the fact that a patient may be uncomfortable with a male examining them. A participant in the study voiced his opinion on the concept: “I have to be careful  what I’m doing because of the possibility of somebody saying that I did something wrong, or rape, or I touched her wrong- that’s always there” (Evans, 2002). This is where a stereotype comes into play. Men are often perceived as being the highly sexualized sex, so any action by a male nurse has to potential to be misinterpreted or misunderstood (Evans, 2002).It is seen as okay for female nurses to touch men and other women, but not the other way around (Evans, 2002).  

                Both of these studies show the sad truth. Men who are brave enough to deal with the stigma of being a male nurse, now have to deal with other problems. The stereotype that men are “sex addicts” is potentially keeping men participating in a noble career. Men and women make equally good nurses. Men who are supposedly “man” enough to become a nurse, often have to deal with a lot of unrecognized issues.

                The media image I selected shows male nursing students. I think this video is very powerful because it relates the story of real-life male nurses and the problems they have to face.

References:

Evans, J. A. (2002). Cautious caregivers: gender stereotypes and the sexualization of men nurses' touch. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 40(4), 441-448. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02392.x

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3dwZ6ktekg&feature=related

Womens' Careers in Science

                In this post, I want to focus on women working in the sciences. In the past, women working in any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields have been few and far between. Nowadays, many more women are entering the sciences; however, they are still the minority in these situations.

                The National Academy of Sciences posted a study concerning women and the sciences. The study found that women were the minority in fields like math; however, they deemed that this was not caused by discrimination. It was suggested that although discrimination may no longer be prevalent, implicit stereotypes may still exist (Baker, 2011). It was found that 70% of people asked grouped science with men and humanities with women, from 1998 (Baker, 2011). This goes to show that implicit sexism may be taking over the role of discrimination. Implicit attitudes are based in the unconscious, so sexism still exists, but it is not as obvious. Some may not even realize they are discriminating (Brannon, 2011).

                The article goes on, interestingly enough, to state that although more and more women are entering the field of science, the field itself is more geared towards men. Biochemistry professor Phoebe Leboy states that the field of science is a hard career, especially for women in the academic aspect of science. The hours are long and demanding, plus there is the added strain of research expectations. In order to succeed in research, one must have lots of experience to back them up. This is a career that involves a lot of hours and hard work. However, these hours and hard work are usually occurring during women’s prime childbearing years, forcing some women to choose between a career and a family (Baker, 2011).

                The image I chose this week portrays the number of male and female teachers at a medical school. While women outweigh the men in three of the categories, men still dominate in the “full professor” and “associate professor” categories (Baker, 2011).

                In conclusion, more and more women are entering the sciences, but it is a hard career. Women may be forced to choose between having a family and having a career because the workplace is geared towards men.

References:

Baker, B. (2011). Having a Life in Science. BioScience, 61(6), 429-433. doi:10.1525/bio.2011.61.6.4

Brannon, Linda. (2011). Gender: Psychological Perspectives. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Image:

http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/mowihsp/stats/academic.htm