According to a survey (seen right) from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, in 2014 there’s a decrease of women earning bachelor degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. To put it in a statistical term, in 2004, 23% of bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields were women In 2014, that percent decreased to around 18%. That’s a 5% decrease over the past decade.
Additionally, the Washington Post postulated one obstacle: “One major obstacle that seems to be keeping women out of STEM fields more generally is the fact that Humanities departments tend to grade more leniently, and compared with men women seem to really hate getting B’s.” While this dramaturg does not support the writer’s reasoning for this certain obstacle, it does raise a few questions: What other obstacles do women in STEM fields face? How does that translate to professional careers? In another article from On Campus with Women (OCWW) from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, it explores the reasoning behind why women don’t major in STEM fields and the gender gap. They debunk certain myths mostly about comparing men to women. In one myth, as an example, high school girls take more math and science classes and earn higher grades than boys. This would reject the assumption of the gender gap because of differences in ability. The OCWW also investigated how society plays into the gender gap. According to the article, “girls often believe that they have to be exceptional to pursue so-called “male fields”. A change in social attitudes and beliefs about what careers are suitable for women may have a positive effect…” Finally, the OCWW believes the culture and climate of STEM departments in colleges and universities can be a barrier to female recruitment and persistence in those fields. They proposed recommendations in order to shrink the gender gap in STEM fields. These include: Helping young women more accurately assess their abilities in math and science, make performance standards and expectations in STEM courses clear, and foster a supportive, stereotype-free learning environment. |
Table courtesy of the NSC Foundation
Photo courtesy of the National Girls Collaborative Project
Graph courtesy of Association of American Colleges and Universities, On Call with Women
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