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

Introduction to Men vs Women in the Sciences

The gender stereotype I'm going to exploring this semester is the concept of men and women in the sciences. I plan to break down the concept of science into its different aspects. Research scientists (physicists, biologists, etc.) and doctors are stereotypically presumed to be male. While other careers that deal with science (like nursing) are stereotypically presumed to be a career better fit for females. How has society determined that men should not be nurses and women should not be research scientists?

There are many stereotypes that abound when it comes to gender and science. Firstly, men are presumed to be better at science than women. Women are presumed not to have minds critical and objective enough to participate in scientific endeavors. It is widely known that women working in the sciences face many stereotypes. However, men face stereotypes when it comes to working in the sciences as well.

The media image that I have selected shows how men face gender stereotypes in science. Career choices like becoming a doctor are seen as primarily a male field. Doctors are the ones who make the tough decisions, who are very knowledgeable about medicine, and have critical, objective minds (all of these characteristics are usually stereotypically seen to be male). On the other hand, careers in nursing are seen as being a predominantly female field. Nurses are there to nurture and care for the sick (characteristics that women are stereotypically seen to have). Today, there are very few male nurses, and the few males that decide to become nurses face a harsh stereotype. Male nurses are stereotypically seen as less "manly" because they are the ones doing the caring and nurturing.

In this blog, I will use media examples, journal articles, and other sources of information to really get to the bottom of the issue at hand. Why has society adopted the belief that men have a better aptitude for science? And how can we break through these stereotypes so that science can be an accessible career choice for everyone?