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Wisdom in WISTEM

On any given school day, I first go to my TA class A period and do my homework. From

there, I walk to my first period, orchestra, and rehearse some pieces we are working on. My

second period is honors physics, where I sit in a row filled with my female friends; however,

there are clearly fewer girls than guys in this class. Another example of this disproportion in my

daily life: When I walk into my AP statistics class, my third period, I walk in and talk to my

friends first. One wears a high ponytail and the other has a long bob. Once the bell rings, we

separate and I sit at a table group where there are three girls and one boy. Yet, the rest of the

class is mostly boys. Is this because they are honors/AP classes, higher level math and science

classes, or purely by chance? After lunch, I have AP French. This class is a different story. It is a

combined class of Honors French and AP French. Sitting on both sides of the room is a majority

of females. Each side has a small corner of male students as well. Is this also purely by chance,

or do girls just prefer advanced humanities while boys prefer advanced STEM classes? STEM

versus non-STEM careers seem to be the biggest categories of futures. Gender definitely used to

be an issue in deciding which category to pursue. However, it is widely known that times have

changed. Women and men are thought to be on equal grounds, yet men still dominate the STEM

industry.

As a high school senior, a year where people bombard you with questions regarding your

career, I am beginning a journey to discover what I want to become. I constantly wonder whether

other young women feel encouraged or discouraged to try and major in STEM, if while scrolling

down the list of majors at colleges, certain girls think “I’m not smart enough for this major”, and

how often these ideas are pondered. This forfeiture of STEM drove me to ask the question: What

are the barriers for girls in STEM?

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The simple answer is that STEM has traditionally been a male-dominated part of society.

But in a day and age where the sexes are supposedly viewed as equal, the numbers of women in

STEM are still much lower than of men. Margaret Elliott, an eighth-grade Career & Technical

Education (CTE) teacher at Foothill Middle School, explained during an interview that she

believes, “A lot of it is sociocultural.” There are factors that can push or pull girls from STEM

that comes from the present society and past cultural values. The disequilibrium of males and

females in STEM starts well before college, in middle school. There are many barriers women

have to overcome to succeed in STEM, and this worldwide phenomenon seems to persist

amongst times of change.

STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and math, encompasses many

career paths. Taken as a whole, the numbers of women can be relatively equal to men or even

outnumber them. However, when looking at each concentration of STEM, specifically

engineering and mathematics, the fields consist mostly of men. The National Girls Collaborative

Project reveals, “high shares of women in the social sciences (62%) and biological, agricultural,

and environmental life sciences (48%) and relatively low shares in engineering (15%) and

computer and mathematical sciences (25%)” (“Statistics”).

One of the greatest indicators of inequality in women in STEM is the fact that women are often

in the minority. According to a study examined by Lilian Wu and Wei Jing, when calculating the

percentages of women scientists and engineers employed in business or industry, only 35.60% of

non-managers and 19% of managers were women. And when calculating the percentages of

women science and engineering managers, only 21.6% of them were women (Wu and Jing). The

main effect this has on younger females is that they are unable to visualize role models. Elliott

explains why it is important to have female role models, “because you always want to see people

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wherever you are that are like you. So if I’m a woman, I want to see women teachers, women

doctors, women whatever.” Role models serve as an anchor that anyone can look up to during

their journeys and struggles. So what does a role for girls to pursue STEM look like? It does not

entail only females working in STEM. Karen Panetta and Katianne Williams, authors of Count

Girls in, characterize the role model girls respond to as not “too attractive. Too feminine, too

geeky, too accomplished, too old, or even too masculine” (76-77). Instead, girls like to look up to

someone who has come out of a tough situation that is similar to theirs. Girls want to see

someone who has overcome hurdles to become successful in what they do. This expands the pool

of role models to many more ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. These role models

tend to not follow the typical stereotypes of those in STEM (Panetta and Williams 76-77).

However, role models do not necessarily have to come from someone they know. Social media

and Hollywood have expanded to the youngest generation’s everyday life. But this can be

problematic when these girls are unable to watch shows and movies that feature women in

STEM. An article written by PR Newswire reports that “82.7 percent of girls and women think it

is important to see girls/women in STEM in films and television, but only 37.1 percent of STEM

character portrayals are female” (“Portrayals). Most females recognize the importance of

representation in Hollywood, yet these numbers have not budged in the past decade. Low

numbers of women working in STEM do not always cause girls to circumvent STEM fields, but

a lack of strong role models because of this can lead to continuous low participation of girls in

STEM.

With the absence of a role model, girls may feel like they are the first females in STEM,

something that not many people want to be. Shannon Connolly, a current student at UC Davis

studying statistics, gives an analogy to her experience as a woman in STEM. Connolly analyzes,

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“Penguins will shove the first penguin off the ice. It is like a test penguin because they want to

see if that first penguin gets eaten by a seal.” Pursuing STEM as a woman, in general, may not be

a pioneer’s action; however, being the one woman to take multivariable calculus at any college

can be scary. Being that test penguin requires courage. Connolly occasionally becomes that

penguin in classes where she is one of the few female students. Not many women want to

become vulnerable and throw themselves into a situation where they can easily be scrutinized by

men. This lack of courage contributes to the everlasting masculine STEM culture.

The journey to succeed in any facet of education is overcoming negative influences and

barriers women tend to face more in STEM than men; these can come from socio-cultural

influences and lack of supportive mentors. The roots of interest in STEM begin in middle school.

And this is the time period when robotics is first introduced. More often than not, these clubs are

filled with teenage boys and an occasional teenage girl or two. This can happen as a result of the

cars and mechanical toys catered toys towards boys. These toys help connect their childhood

toys to new more complicated “toys”. Meanwhile, dolls like Barbie, that are catered towards

girls, leave a gap between the early connections to STEM. An Australian teacher educator, Kate

Highfield, confirms:

Simple robotics are affordable forms of technology and because most children see them

as toys and play objects they have a natural desire to engage with them. The

programmable nature of the toy and the children’s playful response can act as a catalyst

for learning in STEM and for the integration of STEM goals and concepts around the

curriculum. (Donohue 158)

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If girls’ interest in STEM should come from inside and at an early age, this is impossible

if these toys that push children towards STEM are only catered to a masculine interest. A more

diverse introduction into STEM from the start is needed to balance the sexes.

Another factor that can inhibit or encourage more girls from joining STEM is the absence

of family support for them. This can happen in multiple contexts. The first and most direct

source of support comes from parents. Karen Zakaria, a mother who has multiple STEM-based

occupations, acknowledges, “As a parent, [she is] conscious of the way [she] can influence the

course of life [her] children pursue, so [she does her] best to let them decide their paths to the

best of their abilities. [She has] dreams for them, but [she does not] want to force those upon

them.” She understands that the support and the pressures that come from parents can strongly

affect the career choices of their children. Her philosophy stems from her experience as a child

because her parents, “had their hearts set on one of their kids becoming an engineer, so the

pressure to make them proud was highly influential in pursuing a career in STEM.” Parents find

stability in STEM careers and often push their kids into them. Be that as it may, Shannon

Connolly’s experience was the complete opposite. When asked about any influences from her

parents, she responded, “The harder they pressured me the harder I pushed back. So I was very

sure, until I was 20, that I wasn't going to do so.” Sometimes the support that comes from parents

becomes pressure and the only way to alleviate it is to either follow your parents’ dreams or to

diverge from them. A difference in the past generations’ views on women in STEM seems to be

a large contributor of an uptick of girls’ interest in STEM. Data collected in a nationwide online

survey by Propeller Insights and examined by PR Newswire articulates that “Girls ages 6-8 are

closing the generational gap for interest in STEM subjects (5% higher in Science and 14% higher

in math) today vs. Moms' interest when they were kids” (“Survey”). The parents of the children

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today were those who found themselves pushed towards STEM. This survey also supports this

idea: “Dad was named the strongest figure in girls' and boys' lives, while mom ranked second.

Girls were more likely than boys to identify mom as the strongest person they know (37% vs.

26%)” (“Survey”). The greatest influences of a child’s future come from the parents; having

supportive, open-minded ones are essential to a gender equal STEM field.

Another form of support, or lack of support, comes from teachers. Connolly recalls an

instance when she inquired whether or not her TI-84 calculator was acceptable for her calculus

class. Instead of focusing on the model of the calculator, the professor commented on how the

calculator was pink. Her tone implied that the calculator would stand out because it would be the

only pink one amongst the variety of black and blue calculators. This exemplified her belief that

women have to somehow “had to be a certain way to emulate men in order to succeed in

STEM.” During the interview, Connolly revealed that this experience had greatly discouraged

her to continue the class. When women are faced with situations similar to this, their journey

through STEM is impeded with doubt. Bias on the quality of work based on the genders when

examined by professors can also create doubt. In a study examined by Margo Pierce from The

American Association for the Advancement of Science, she found that “Science faculty members

at ‘research-intensive universities’ were given the application materials of male and female

students with randomly assigned names for a laboratory manager position. When the credentials

of the students were the same, the applications for male students were seen more favorably”

(Pierce). This is one example of prejudice women can face in the workforce or in school.

Educating oneself on existing implicit gender bias is one of the first steps towards preventing

that bias from influencing the consideration of sexes in STEM.

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In different countries, the situation for women in STEM tends to be different. Olga

Khazan cites a new paper published by psychologists from the Leeds Beckett University and the

University of Missouri that found that “the countries that minted the most female college

graduates in fields like science, engineering, or math were also some of the least gender-equal

countries” (Khazan). There are two major reasons why this happens. The first is that these less

gender-equal countries tend to also be developing countries. The importance of education can be

essential to surviving. Girls from these countries can view STEM as the most accessible area of

study to make the most money. Khazan proves, “girls in [less gender equal] countries might be

more inclined to choose stem professions since they offer a more certain financial future than,

say, painting or writing” (Khazan). The second reason is that not only do these girls find a secure

future through STEM, but also their parents are usually more liberal from the start. In these less

gender-equal countries, families may not see a purpose in sending their girls to receive an

education of any sort. Shannon Connolly relays, “The women who are allowed to get educations

are generally from families who are progressive in other ways.” These families are already

supportive of equal rights for men and women, therefore, they are more likely to send their girls

to school and support them in STEM. Females that come from more gender-biased countries will

strive to pursue STEM in larger numbers than other countries because their circumstances are

different.

One might object that there is a general decline of interest in STEM that applies to both

boys and girls. In an article titled “Boys' Interest in STEM Declining”, research conducted by

Junior Achievement USA has found a decrease of boys’ interest in STEM. The specific

percentages were “24% of boys want a STEM career, down from 36% in 2017; girls' interest

remains unchanged at 11%, year-over-year” (“Boys”). This data was collected in Colorado

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Springs, Colo., and Ernst & Young, Richmond, Va. A large percentage of boys have

theoretically lost interest in STEM, but there have been recent studies that show the opposite. An

ongoing nationwide survey produced by the Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring program has

found that “Popularity of STEM careers rose, with 52 percent of students expressing interest in

2017, compared to 45 percent in 2016” (“Exploring”). There was an increase of interest in

STEM for both male and female students that were surveyed. This increase exemplifies that the

location where a survey is taken from can result in different conclusions. The data from two

specific cities concludes that there is a decrease of interest in STEM for boys; on the other hand,

the nationwide survey concludes that there is a general increase of interest in STEM between the

two surveyed sexes.

The female sex makes up approximately 51% of the population in the world, however, it

does not make up 51% of jobs in STEM. This results from a continuous cycle of lower numbers

of women in STEM that will never break unless the barriers are destroyed. Different parts of the

world value a STEM-based education contrastingly. Though there is no specific moment when

girls choose to step away from STEM, there are many shortfalls in consistent support of them in

STEM. This comes from home and school; parents and teachers must create a safe and strong,

supportive net for both boys and girls to grow interested in STEM. Some say that boys’ interest

in STEM has decreased, however, these data are inconsistent with data found in a larger

population. Unequal numbers of women in STEM have been an ongoing problem for many

years, and while it is improving, ultimately needs even more efforts made to reach total equality.

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Works Cited

"Boys' Interest in STEM Declining." USA Today, Aug. 2018. Student Resources In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A550388834/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=SUIC&xid=62

ce861c. Accessed 12 Mar. 2019.

Connolly, Shannon. Personal interview. 11 Mar. 2019

Croft, Elizabeth. "Barriers to women in STEM fields." Age [Melbourne, Australia], 13 Feb.

2018. Student Resources In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A527213968/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=SUIC&xid=9e

957b3d. Accessed 20 Feb. 2019.

Donohue, Chip. Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years: Tools for Teaching and

Learning. Routledge, 2015.

Elliot, Margaret. B.A. in Zoology from California State University Fresno. Science Teaching

Credential from Chapman University. Masters of Educational Technology from

California State University East Bay. Personal interview. 15 Feb. 2019.

"Exploring Releases Career Interests Trends From Nationwide Survey Of U.S. Students." PR

Newswire, 22 Aug. 2018. Student Resources In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A551198598/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=SUIC&xid=2a

213506. Accessed 5 Mar. 2019.

Khazan, Olga. “The More Gender Equality, the Fewer Women in STEM.” The Atlantic, Atlantic

Media Company, 31 Oct. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/the-more-

gender-equality-the-fewer-women-in-stem/553592/. Accessed 8 Mar. 2019.

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Panetta, Karen, and Katianne Williams. Count Girls in: Empowering Girls to Combine Any

Interests with STEM to Open up a World of Opportunity. Chicago Review Press

Incorporated, 2018.

Pierce, Margo. “Barriers for Women in STEM.” AAAS - The World's Largest General Scientific

Society, 25 Feb. 2013, www.aaas.org/barriers-women-stem. Accessed 5 March 2019.

“Portrayals of Female STEM Characters in TV and Film Haven't Improved in 10 Years.” PR

Newswire, 25 Sept. 2018. Student Resources In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A555577896/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=SUIC&xid=36

86dedf. Accessed 21 Feb. 2019.

“Statistics.” Statistics | National Girls Collaborative Project, National Girls Collaborative, 2018,

ngcproject.org/statistics.

"Survey Reveals Growing Interest in STEM Among Girls, While Stereotypes Persist in Parents'

Opinions of Gender Appropriate Jobs." PR Newswire, 4 Mar. 2019. Student Resources In

Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A576885814/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=SUIC&xid=fc

136dbd. Accessed 6 Mar. 2019.

Wu, Lilian, and Wei Jing. "Asian women in STEM careers: an invisible minority in a double

bind." Issues in Science and Technology, vol. 28, no. 1, 2011, p. 82+. Student Resources

In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A270733625/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=SUIC&xid=89

5c62c8

Zakaria, Karen. Email interview. 7 Mar. 2019.

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