Taking Responsibility: Women in STEM Fields

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Women are Still a Minority in STEM Majors
Today’s college students have the opportunity and freedom to choose their major and their career path. Many factors influence the decision of a college student’s career paths including background, general interests, personal strengths, time commitment, and job outlook. Although many important decisions are made in college, one of the most important is the choice of major and career track. Out of hundreds of majors the science and engineering fields are under-represented by women. Although the numbers of women in science technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM, majors has been increasing in the past years, women still are in the minority in the STEM fields. In her study, Lona Whitmarsh concluded, “that career opportunities for women have widened,” but “not enough change has occurred to show significant differences between the overall population” (49). It is good that more women are entering these fields, but there are still not enough young women aspiring to fill the gaps. Further statistics show that female representation in engineering continues to be low, “in 2008 only 19 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 22.9 percent of masters, and 14.8 percent of PhDs in engineering were awarded to women” (Bystydzienski 2). Although there has been a general increase of women entering the fields of science and mathematics, overall the numbers are still low, showing that women struggle in pursuing a degree within these fields, and that many factors can lead to a female not choosing to begin or complete college in a STEM major. Women are in the minority of STEM fields.
Yong females may be exposed to the sciences and develop an interest, but this curiosity cannot blossom due to the absence of fu...

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... 2013.
Cech, Erin, et al. "Professional Role Confidence and Gendered Persistence In Engineering." American Sociological Review 76.5 (2011): 641, 642,646 Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Wang, Ming-Te, Jacquelynne S. Eccles, and Sarah Kenny. "Not Lack Of Ability But More Choice: Individual And Gender Differences In Choice Of Careers In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics." Psychological Science (Sage Publications Inc.) 24.5 (2013): 771, 774. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Whitmarsh, Lona, and Diane Keyser Wentworth. "Gender Similarity Or Gender Difference? Contemporary Women's And Men's Career Patterns." Career Development Quarterly 60.1 (2012): 47, 48, 49. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
"Why STEM Fields Still Don't Draw More Women." Chronicle Of Higher Education (2012): 3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.

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