Why so few women in the hard sciences: literature review

1. Why so few women in the hard sciences: literature review Yao Yadikuwa Marie

2. Introduction Thesis: Past and recent research attributes the textbook portrayal of scientists and engineers (the stereotypical scientist), beliefs about women intelligence, education, and the sexual discrimination as the reasons why women avoid getting into the hard sciences field.

3. The textbook portrayal of scientists and engineers (the stereotypical scientist) • Studies show that there is a huge conflict between the female gender construction (the way women are expected to look like or be according to society) and the portrayal that society or popular culture gives to scientists. Brush and Jill Tietjen presents how engineering relation with attractiveness lower people interest in joining scientific majors, especially with girls . Avallone et al. the listed families care as the first major obstacles of women in the scientific workforce which leave them to quit their career.

4. Beliefs about women intelligence • Studies revealed that women tend to avoid sciences because of general beliefs about their intelligence. Brush and Catherine Hill both agrees that beliefs about women intelligence inferiority, especially in math tends to scare women into getting in the hard sciences. Hill et al. go even further and assert that those assumptions tend to lower women performance in science.

5. Sexual discrimination • Research agrees sexual discrimination undergone by women in the science field is one reason why girls avoid getting into or staying in the hard science. Brush and conefrey agree with the fact that women in the hard science forget about the “chilly climate” but most of the time they are the ones (women) excluded from discussion. However, Conefrey presented some boys’ sexist attitude that lead women to drop their science classes.

6. Education • Research found out that a poor education can severely affect the interest of women in the hard sciences and also their scientific formation. While Brush , Avallone et al, Hill et al. all agree in their articles that women have a poor educational and parental counseling also lack of and of role model and mentor which can guide them, Archer, Louise et al focused their studies the familial education that lowers girls’ interest science

7. “so what” • The major problem that studies was focused on is education. In fact, if girls are encouraged, mentored and counseled by their parents and teachers, if teachers stand out in class when girls are discriminated against and the school curriculum is revised, the girls will have the right weapons to fight and be successful and well represented in science.

8. Works Cited • Archer, Louise et al. “‘Not girly, not Sexy, not Glamorous’: Primary School Girls’ and Parents ‘Constructions of Science Aspirations. ”Pedagogy, Culture & Society 21.1 (2013). Web. 16 Jun. 2014. • Avallone, Linnea et al. “Supporting the Retention and Advancement of Women in the Atmospheric Sciences: What Women Are Saying”. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 94(September 2013). Web. 13 Jun 2014. • Brush, Stephen G. “Women in Science and Engineering” American Scientist 79.5 (1991): 404-419. Web 13 Jun. 2014. • Conefrey, Theresa “Sexual Discrimination and Women's Retention Rates in Science and Engineering Programs” Feminist Teacher 13.3 (2001): 170-192. University of Illinois Press. Web 19 jun. 2014. • Hill, Catherine et al. “Why So Few?” Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. AAUW (2010):4-48. Web. 15 Jun. 2014. • Saavedra, Luísa et al. “Dilemmas of Girls and Women in Engineering: a study in Portugal.” Educational Review 66.3 (2013): 330-344. Web. 15 Jun. 2014. • Seymour, Elaine, and Nancy M. Hewitt. “Talking About Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences.” Boulder, CO 36.1 (1997): 29-345. Web. 15 Jun. 2014. • Tietjen, Jill “Why So Few Still? Engineering’s Image Problem is Driving down enrollments” IEEEXplore, Oct.2004.Web 20 Jun 2014.