The Outlook for Girls In Engineering and Mathematics

1889 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The challenges that women engineers face

areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics employers are not getting enough women (Pozniak). High school girls only represent 17 percent of computer science Advance Placement (AP) test takers (O'Shea). The most significant group of minorities who are behind in earning computer technology degrees and working in science and mathematical professions are women. “Historically, women’s low representation in science and engineering was said to be due in large part of their lack of ability, interest, or both” (Horning 30). However, this is no longer a true fact according to Ward. Some suggestions to increasing the amount of women in sciences include introducing already present women faculty as mentors. Over the last three decades, women have become interested in almost every industry and occupation, but are not succeeding in receiving a degree in their new field of interest. Women earn about twenty-seven percent of mathematics and science degrees (AAUW). The need for faculty members in mathematics and science is greatest for women. It is proven that women and minorities who earn these degrees are paid less and advance more slowly than men.

Not only are women a minority in engineering, but also so are women of other races. Sixty-five percent of women who are in the workforce are white (National Science Foundation). The total amount of women, including all races, makes up only 1 percent of the work force. Other races of women engineers include Asian, African-American, Hispanic, and American Indian. The percentages of these women in engineering averaged around 8 percent of total women. Studies have shown that culture and availability of schooling can affect the amount of women in engineering. Being outnumbered in the engin...

... middle of paper ...

...undergraduates leave the

sciences. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Web. 23 Jan. 2011.

Van Langen, A., & Dekkers, H. (2005). Cross-national differences in participating in tertiary

science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Comparative Education,

41(3), 329-350. Web. 23 Jan. 2011.

Ward, LaWanda. "Female Faculty in Male-Dominated Fields: Law, Medicine, and Engineering." New Directions for Higher Education 143 (2008): 63-72. ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 19 Jan. 2011.

"Women in Engineering: DISPARITIES REMAIN DESPITE PROGRESS." Electronic Design 54.23 (2006): 34-42. Computer Source. EBSCO. Web. 19 Jan. 2011.

Xie, Y. “Social Influences on Science and Engineering Career Decisions.” Workshop

report from the Biological, Social, and Organizational Components of Success for

Women in Academic Science and Engineering. National Academies, 2006. Web. 21 Jan. 2011.

Show More
Related

  • Sexism in the Workplace

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women have to face problems because of their gender. In the article “Sexism a problem in Silicon Valley, critics says,” LA Times, October 24, 2013, Jessica Guynn mentions that discrimination against women exists in the technology companies because of their gender. Some women that work at tech companies have been sexually threatened and death threats. Some technology companies do not have any senior women because women are not as well promoted as men are. Many women decide not to study to become engineers as result women are not as prominent in the technology workplace. Technology companies have problems with gender.

    Read More

  • Institutionalized Sexism in Academia: Real or Perceived

    2859 Words  | 6 Pages

    Monroe, Kristen, et al. "Gender Equality in Academia: Bad News from the Trenches, and some Possible Solutions." Perspectives on Politics 6.2 (2008): 215-33. Print.

    Read More

  • STEM Case Study

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    STEM, also known as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is the field that is advancing at a rapid rate. Within STEM, there are many occupations across the four fields. As years go on, more and more people start to have a growing interest in STEM, but this can’t be said for women. Women almost take up half of the workforce, but when it comes to STEM, women only take about 24%, almost half of the women aren’t participating in STEM. The numbers continue to get worse. From 2000 - 2009, the numbers have remained at a constant 24%. At this rate, employers could potentially see a decline in women’s representation, but there have been efforts to change this rate (Beede et al par. 6). This could mean disastrous problems in the world as more problems will arise and there’s nothing to be done because companies are non-diverse and

    Read More

  • Gender Equity in STEM

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    Promoting gender equity in STEM courses in high school is a crucial step in the direction of postsecondary achievement in related careers. But all too often, students Students are often afraid to try something new and of failing in front of others. Students who chronically under-perform in math and science, thinking they are not competent to excel in these subjects, are at risk of giving up.

    Read More

  • Inequality In The Workplace

    1827 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to the article “It’s a Man’s World”, many fields are still male-dominated even though women have slowly started entering them. Historically women have been time and again been denied to enter certain occupations based on gender. Women still face many of the same challenges addressed in working in a male-dominated career. Earning the respect of their male colleagues, obtaining the same promotions and balancing work and home life appear to remain at the forefront of issues still in need of being addressed.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of STEM Jobs

    565 Words  | 2 Pages

    Recent statistics show females are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math fields in the United States. There are many proposed reasons and fortunately none of the serious studies conclude that females are not smart enough. Despite millions of dollars spent on gathering female talent, STEM jobs are still dominated by men. Most studies over the last few years point to a reason that should be a wakeup call for every parent.

    Read More

  • What Is The Gender Gap In STEM

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    Parents and educators both display actions that could be and continue to affect the gender gap in STEM. By parents not giving both their sons and daughters an equal to the questions they ask, it supports the idea of why there is a lack of women in these areas of study. Female teachers also may be openly expressing their struggles with math and other similar areas have negatively affected the gap in STEM today. Direct biases and unconscious biases are both reasons that lead to a gap in these areas. But as female teenagers mature and grow older, they have different wants than men do when they grow

    Read More

  • STEM Career Essay

    1701 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although, trying to get women in this field is very difficult due to many reasons that involve females from going into this job. Whitecraft and Williams, stated, “Some argue that women are less likely than men to possess cognitive abilities at the extreme right tail of the distribution, which are necessary to compete in computer science” (Whitecraft and Williams 222). One of the reasons women avoid STEM jobs is because research has found that males are more capable in highly math courses than females. The subjects that males and females excel in were also researched, and were found to be an important contribution to why women are not in computer science. “Males excelled in science, mathematics, spatial reasoning, social studies, and mechanical skills. Females excelled in verbal abilities, associative memory performance, and perceptual speed” (Whitecraft and Williams 223). The fact that more men are in STEM careers is because the research indicated that males excel in science and mathematics, which are two subjects that are needed to pursue STEM jobs. The way men and women thinks is one of the reasons there are not more women in the computer science

    Read More

  • Women and Engineering

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    Carol B. Muller, “The Underrepresentation of Women in Engineering and Related Sciences: Pursuing Two Complementary Paths to Parity.” National Academies Press (US); Web. 2003.

    Read More

  • Minorities

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1970 women had earned only 17% of a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering computer science, and natural sciences. In 1995 though, the proportion was still low but it increased to 31%. (Macionis 1998).

    Read More

  • Woman at work

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    Women also had not greatly improved their status in other professions. In 1930 about 2 percent of all American lawyers and judges were women in 1989, about 22 percent. In 1930 there were almost no women engineers in the United States. In 1989 the proportion of women engineers was only 7.5 percent.

    Read More

  • Gender and Mathematics

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Firstly, because boys are more engaged with mathematics and sciences, most people think that their performance in this particular field is better than girls’. People who believe this to be true argue that the most brilliant minds of the all times and the most successful scientists are men. They even go further reminding the society that every concentration that is mathematics-related is overpopulated by representatives of male gender. In other words, boys are more likely to attend universities that are related with mathematics and sciences. For instance, if you walk by the Mathematics and Science Faculty in the University of Pristina you can come across mostly male students attending this faculty. Even more, if you go further and search for the academic staff in this institution, you can see ...

    Read More

  • Women in Engineering

    2698 Words  | 6 Pages

    Engineering is a field dominated by men in today's society, for many reasons. When people think about engineering they think about men with glasses and never does a women come to mind. However, there have been many studies on the skills that keep women out of engineering as a career yet there is no proof that women cannot or do not possess the skills needed to be a successful engineer. Therefore, it is thought and stereotyped that women do not have the skills to have an engineering career. Due to the studies and stereotypes the questions then arise as to what makes a good engineer. Many have the same response to the question but not one skill can a women not posses. Women are stereotyped as being dumb just because they are pretty. If a women is not considered pretty she is often thought of as being a smarter than a pretty women . Over all the stereotypes there are some women who have beat the odds. These Women who do have the skills to enter into the field face bias everyday in the field because they are women not because they lack in the required skills. Unfortunately, these reasons that keep women from entering the field of engineering. There have been organizations that spend their time encouraging women to enter into engineering. The Organizations and societies have become so strong and so persuasive that even the company that makes Barbie is coming out with a computer engineering Barbie to attract young girls into the field. The push from the organizations and the drive of the women for success has helped some women to make a breakthrough in the field. Those few women who have overcome many challenges and obstacles in the field have to prove themselves to be looked at with even the slightest bit of respect. These women who ma...

    Read More

  • Why Dont Girls Choose Science

    2751 Words  | 6 Pages

    Recently O’Brien, Martinez-Pons & Kopala (1999) reported that gender could directly predict students’ career interests in the science and engineering fields, leaving no question as to whether gender was an issue when choosing science subject. It is thought that the critical moment for girls arises when they have a choice as to whether to do science or not (Robottom, 1986) and it is at this point the gender differences really become noticeable. Studies have revealed that girls were choosing to do language, arts or biology, whereas boys were choosing to do physical science courses (Farenga & Joyce, 1999) and it seems that there is no biological basis that can account for this low achievement and representation of girls in physical science (Johnston, 1984).

    Read More

  • Examples Of Discrimination Against Women In The Workplace

    1796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Especially, women are very serious hiring discrimination in mathematic fields. They are very less selected for the new position. Employers are tendency unfair to hire women for several reasons: first, they might think women have fewer job skills than men and women are less qualified to perform nontraditional jobs and can’t handle higher-paid positions. The employers usually favored men, even if women have the same background, education, and job experience. The three nation’s top business schools examined why women make a small portion of studying or working in math and science field. The research found the discrimination even though the same credential (Alan par. 2). Male applicants are twice likely to be by hire the company over the female applicant within the math field and persist the discrimination after the applicant reported how they are done on the math task. When women give a full information for past math performance, discrimination rate fell by nine percentage points, but discrimination is still remain in the workplace. Alan argues that “The gender gap in hiring decisions is due to a systematic underestimation of the performance of women compared to men (par.

    Read More

More about The Outlook for Girls In Engineering and Mathematics

Open Document