Author: Odeica (Page 8 of 13)

Riegle, Catherine, and Morton, Karisma “Gender Expectations: Examining How Peers Shape Female Students’ Intent to Pursue STEM Fields” | Front. Psychol., 15 March 2017 |  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00329

We as humans use the success of others who look like us as a mirror that reflects how successful we ourselves can be. So, if we do not see people who look like us achieving the things we want to accomplish, we feel as though that somehow reflects the possibilities our future holds and the ability to achieve our dreams outside of societal norms, ultimately deeming success pass what we have experienced and seen impossible. Catherine Riegle is a sociology professor at the University of Texas whose research is focused on the educational inequalities that stem from the complex intersection between gender and race/ethnicity. Karisma Morton is an Assistant professor of Mathematics Education also at the University of Texas whose research explores the inequalities people of color faces in mathematics education while specifically examining the roles gender and race/ethnicity, as well as their intersection, plays in said inequalities. The article “Gender Expectations: Examining How Peers Shape Female Students’ Intent to Pursue STEM Fields” builds on prior psychological and sociological research that examines the environmental effects that shape the gendered outcomes in STEM Fields. This study explores the negative and positive impact exclusionary and inclusionary messages from peers have on adolescent girls. A controlled experiment was used to directly determine the effects biased in-class interactions have on adolescent girls who are interested in science and engineering and how those biases affect their decision to pursue a career that aligns with their interests. “Specifically, utilizing longitudinal data from a diverse sample of adolescent youth, analyses examine how the presence of biased male peers, as well as confident female peers, shape girls’ subsequent intentions to pursue different STEM fields, focusing specifically on intentions to pursue the male-dominated fields of computer science and engineering, as well as more gender equitable fields.” Environmental effects play a significant role in adolescent girls’ lives as it directly influences whether they decide to further pursue an education in science or engineering or not. Upon further study of the gender expectations of females when it comes to choosing a gender-appropriate career revealed that “Research reveals that educational and occupational aspirations began to crystallize around early adolescence, coinciding with the increasing saliency of gender identity and gender roles in young people’s lives. As they actively contemplate their possible futures, young people are subject to a multitude of messages from those around them regarding what is appropriate and expected for their gender.” In other words, “Put simply, in the locations where girls and young women conduct their daily lives, they encounter a host of experiences and interactions with others who expect them to think and behave in ways that are consistent with prevailing societal gender norms and stereotypes. Yet at the same time, local environments offer the potential for the disruption of inequality and the creation of alternative constructions of gender. For example, if they are populated by individuals who do not endorse traditional norms and beliefs, local contexts can create opportunities for interactions and experiences that push back against larger social norms and paradigms.” Adolescent girls are most likely to lean towards a path that is more gender accepting than to follow their passion and pursue a career that disagrees with their traditional norms and beliefs. The study concluded that “Exposure to a higher percentage of 8th grade male peers in the classroom who endorsed explicit gender/STEM stereotypes significantly and negatively predicted girls’ later intentions to pursue a computer science/engineering (CS/E) major. Yet results also reveal that exposure to a higher percentage of confident female peers in the science classroom positively predicted such intentions.” In an environment where young girls are stereotyped for their interest in science and engineering, they tend to shy off and choose a career that is gender appropriate in the eyes of society. However, when young girls are placed in an environment where their interests are supported, they tend to pursue the career that they want.

Gender norms and societal expectations are major influences that affect our career choice. Thinking that my curiosity in outer space and dreams of becoming an Aerospace engineer was just something I grew out of was very childish if me. Reflecting on my middle school days, I have realized now that the classroom was never really a place where I could truly express myself. I have always been fond of science and engineering but in the class, I would often shy off and let the boy lead the discussion because of the societal norms that I blindly followed. The article states “Research reveals that educational and occupational aspirations began to crystallize around early adolescence, coinciding with the increasing saliency of gender identity and gender roles in young people’s lives. As they actively contemplate their possible futures, young people are subject to a multitude of messages from those around them regarding what is appropriate and expected for their gender.” Growing up I did not see anyone who looked like me both as a female and an African American represented as Aerospace Engineers. I would usually see white men and my young and gullible self thought that it was a job only for men since that was what I was exposed to in most movies, books, and photos. Kids are most like to lean towards more gender-safe careers because of societal norms and fear of being an outcast. On top of lack of proper representation, gender expectations were another reason my interest in Aerospace Engineering subsided. Gender expectations and societal norms influence our lives in many ways, some we are not aware of.

Overall, the article was very direct and highly informative. The authors articulate their ideas well and the points they were trying to convey to their audience were clear. The ideas of exclusionary and inclusionary messages highlighted the impact that inclusive environments can have on a child’s future career. The purpose of the article is to shine a light on the effects of lack of representation, gender expectations, and exclusive environment can have on a child and their future.

“Yet at the same time, it is possible that some local contexts serve to disrupt these larger gender stereotypes. In this vein, some psychological research has recently moved to empirically examine the power of peers and role models to counter-act stereotypes and provide alternative depictions of females’ strength and belonging in STEM fields.”

“While research in this area has called critical attention to how proximate exposure to bias and stereotypes can negatively impact females’ STEM-related outcomes, nevertheless it is important to point out the results of such experiments may not necessarily translate outside these highly controlled settings.”

“For example, if they are populated by individuals who do not endorse traditional norms and beliefs, local contexts can create opportunities for interactions and experiences that push back against larger social norms and paradigms.”

“Gender theorists and scholars argue that gender is a social construction, one that is created and reinforced across various levels, including the macro-level of institutions as well as the micro-level of the local environments that individuals inhabit”

When we think of easily assembled childhood delicacies, one of the things that come to mind is peanut butter and jelly sandwich as it was the perfect blend between two contrasting sweetness. According to the author, “The relationship between children and peanut butter was cemented in the late 1920s, when Gustav Papendick invented a process for slicing and wrapping bread. Sliced bread meant that children could make sandwiches themselves without slicing the bread with a potentially dangerous knife.” In addition to the sandwich being easy to make, the invention of sliced bread made it safe for kids who wanted a quick snack without their parent’s help and for parents who wanted to give their kids room to grow and do things for themselves. The easy and safe assembly of peanut butter and jelly sandwich made it one of the top children’s meals during the Depression.

How has lack of representation for people of color contributed to the racial and gender gap within the STEM Fields?

Representation does not only affect how we see ourselves and others, but it also influences how we look at our future and the possibilities that await us. As early as I could remember I have always had this burning desire to find out everything and anything there is to know about outer space. Hearing this one would think that my dream job was to become an astronaut but that was not the case for me. Even though I did not want to go to space I still wanted something to do with it, so when I found out about Aerospace Engineering I was really intrigued. I remember I would watch every movie and video, read every book, and article and even look at pictures anything just to learn more about outer space. As I got older, I slowly started to lose interest in outer space, and I always thought that it was because I was exploring new things and it was just another interest that did not age well with time. However, now looking back with a more worldly and mature perspective, I realize that my sudden disinterest in the thing that made my heart skip several beats even when I was simply thinking about it, was caused by not seeing people who looked like me portrayed in the media. Lupita once said “Until I saw people who looked like me, I was not so sure [being an actress] was a possibility. My exact feeling as a kid but her actress is my Aerospace Engineer. When I started to notice that nearly all Aerospace engineers that I saw growing up did not look like me, this negatively impacted my self-esteem and self-worth making me feel inferior because of how I looked. For years, I look at life and my future with implicit bias, I would always limit my self-expectations and to fit what I thought was expected of me in the eyes of society.

However, with new experiences and surrounding myself with people who challenged my perspective, I slowly started to realize that I was so much more than my skin color. My newfound perspective evoked some burning questions that I needed to answer in order to give my childhood dreams a fair chance. I have always wondered what my life would be like if I was exposed to Aerospace Engineers who looked like me hence my research question “How has lack of representation for people of color contributed to the racial and gender gap within the STEM fields?” Other than wanting to know what role proper representation would play in bridging the racial and gender gap within the STEM fields. I also would like to know what contributed to the racial and gender gap within the STEM fields and what we as people of color and the government can do to ensure that everyone who wishes to enter any STEM field is provided with equal opportunities and has proper representation. Moreover, I am not opposed to finding a perspective or information that completely goes against what I expect to find during my research. Finding opposing information would not only make me more intrigued but it would also put things into perspective for me. Finding the root of the problem at hand is more important than proving a point. So, if opposing information leads to finding the truth and solving the problem, I will welcome it with open arms.

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