Why Do We Need Women in STEM Fields?
This is a question that comes up pretty regularly. Here is one answer.
Attracting and retaining more women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce will maximize innovation, creativity, and competitiveness. Scientists and engineers are working to solve some of the most difficult challenges of our time, and engineers design many of the things we use daily. When women are not involved in science and engineering, experiences, needs, and desires that are unique to women may be overlooked.
For example, Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing discusses the fact that "some early voice-recognition systems were calibrated to typical male voices. As a result, women's voices were literally unheard. ... Similar cases are found in many other industries. For instance, a predominantly male group of engineers tailored the first generation of automotive airbags to adult male bodies, resulting in avoidable deaths for women and children" (Margolis & Fisher, 2002, pp. 2-3).
With a more diverse workforce, scientific and technological products, services, and solutions are likely to be better designed and more likely to represent all users, and the direction of scientific inquiry will be guided by a broader array of experiences.
Why do you think it is important to have women in STEM fields?
Buy Passport,Driver License,Age & ID Card,Visa: Website: https://realfakedocky.wordpress.com/
Buy high quality Real Passports, Visas, Driver's License ,ID CARDS, Marriage certificates, Diplomas, Birth Certificates, Credit cards, Utility bills, Social Security cards, Resident permits, Death certificates, Seaman cards, e.t.c
We are a team of highly experienced and sophisticated IT professionals with many years of experience in producing high quality documents of all categories.
We offer original high quality real and not real passports, driver driving, ID cards, stamps, birth certificates, diplomas, e.t.c for almost all countries in the world mostly countries like: US, AustrAalia, Belgium, Brazil, Norway, Canada, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, e.t.c
This list is not complete.
For additional information and to place your order, just contact us by email, skype or phone.
Contact:
email: (genuinedockies201@gmail.com)
whatsapp ....+237670725929
Skype Id: lugert2
Web Site: https://realfakedocky.wordpress.com/
Do not hesitate to contact us by email or call at any time and in any
discretion.
TOPICS:
BUY REAL AND Not-Real PASSPORTS:
Buy real and Not-Real USA passports
Buy real and Not-Real Australian passports
Buy real and Not-Real Belgian passports
Buy real and Not-Real Brazilian passports
Buy real and Not-Real Canadian passports
Buy real and not real French passports
Buy real and not real New Zealand passports
Buy real and not real German passports
Buy real and not real Dutch (Netherlands) passports
Buy real and not real Israeli passports
Buy real and not real UK (United Kingdom) passports
Buy real and not real Spanish passports
Buy real and not real Mexican passports
Buy real and not real South African passports
Buy real and not real Swiss (Switzerland) passports
Buy real and not real Chinese passports
Buy real and not real Austrian passports
Buy real and not real Japanese passports
Buy real and not real Ukrainian passports
Buy real and not real Cambodian passports
Buy real and not real Romanian passports
Buy real and not real Polish passports
Buy real and not real Bulgarian passports
Buy real and not real Moroccan passports
Buy real and not real Cyprus passports
Buy real and not real Norwegian passports
Buy real and not real Portuguese passports
Buy real and not real Lithuanian passports
Buy real and not real Russian passports
Buy real and not real Hungarian passports
Buy real and not real Brazilian passports
Buy real and not real Italian passports
Buy real and not real Jamaican passports
Buy real and not real South Korean passport
Buy real and not real Croatian passports
Buy real and not real Danish passports
Buy real and not real Malta passports
Buy real and not real Swedish passports
BUY REAL AND Not Real DRIVING LICENCE
Buy real and not real USA driver's license
Buy real and not real New Zealand driver's license
Buy real and not real German driver's license
Buy real and not real Dutch (Netherlands) driver's license
Buy real and not real Israeli driver's license
Buy real and not real UK (United Kingdom) driver's license
Buy real and not real Spanish driver's license
Buy real and not real Mexican driver's license
Buy real and not real South African driver's license
Buy real and not real Swiss (Switzerland) driver's license
Buy real and not real Chinese driver's license
Buy real and not real Austrian driver's license
Buy real and not real Japanese driver's license
Buy real and not real Ukrainian driver's license
Buy real and not real Cambodian driver's license
Buy real and not real Romanian driver's license
Buy real and not real Polish driver's license
Buy real and not real Bulgarian driver's license
Buy real and not real Moroccan driver's license
Buy real and not real Cyprus driver's license
Buy real and not real Norwegian driver's license
Buy real and not real Portuguese driver's license
Buy real and not real Lithuanian driver's license
Buy real and not real Russian driver's license
Buy real and not real Hungarian driver's license
Buy real and not real Brazilian driver's license
Buy real and not real Italian driver's license
Buy real and not real Jamaican driver's license
Buy real and not real South Korean driver's license
Buy real and not real Croatian driver's license
Buy real and not real Danish driver's license
Buy real and not real Malta driver's license
Buy real and not real Swedish driver's license
contact:
email: (genuinedockies201@gmail.com)
whatsapp ....+237670725929
Skype Id: lugert2
Website:
https://realfakedocky.wordpress.com/
Do not hesitate to contact us by email or call at any time and in any
discretion.
Great article and I really impress to this post. Thanks a lot!!!
http://www.vertexplus.com/
In answer to Alan's comment, the point of "interest" is an interesting one (no pun intended).
It is true that polls show that girls say they are less interested in STEM fields. But how do people develop interest in something? To me, that's the next logical question.
Many factors contribute to what career an individual chooses. Researchers agree that a necessary element to choosing a career is believing that one can be successful at it. Some interesting research that I'll talk about in an upcoming post has to do with self-assessment. Girls assess their abilities in typically male arenas lower than boys with similar past achievement in that arena do. Additionally, research shows that girls hold themselves to a higher standard in typically male fields. Lower self-assessments in STEM subjects and a higher standard in those subjects can help us understand why fewer girls aspire to - or say they are interested in - a STEM career.
I chose A.
First, in biology, women are well represented.
Second, as my mother used to say you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
There are a multitude of jobs where women are under represented. Plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, longshoremen come to mind and I'm sure there are hundreds of others. These jobs on the whole pay well and are as immune to recession as STEM jobs (maybe even more immune) so answer D seems wrong.
How much life experience do you have at age 18? Enough to figure out what your college major will be? And how different is it from an 18 year old boy? So B seems wrong.
It just may be that women have self selected out of STEM fields because they find other fields more interesting or rewarding
As for myself, I, like Laura, would pick B, C, and D. And that explains why I wouldn't pick A, in answer to Mad Dog's comment.
I do think it's important that women are part of the science and engineering workforce. Of course, as Mad Dog points out, there are women in all STEM fields, but in certain fields, there are very few women. While the doors are not officially shut to women in these fields, barriers still exist for women in these fields.
My gut answer would be B. but then how would you prove the value of those life experiences? I've been asked this question at a dinner chatting with several key leaders at my postdoc institution (all male). I don't think I convinced them that women add anything of value to science regardless of my non-data based explanations.
As a woman in science I know that I do think differently than my male colleagues and have seen that this difference is valuable at times. But that difference is also because of my family, socioeconomic background, diversity in training, etc. All the things that make me "me". Pinpointing that I am different because of my gender alone is a tough argument to make.
To answer this question well you need a relatively short response backed by data and specific examples to show that women bring something of value to science. The one detailed in this post is a great one.
And I agree that unless you change the minds of those at the top who maintain the culture of science...I don't think we'll see the culture adapting. If you can sway them..then you have a shot at effecting long term change.
Just for the argument, why not pick A? You've cited people's statement that no government intervention is needed to open the doors to women, and in this day of downsizing government due to lack of funds, isn't it unreasonable to push for more money/laws/ enforcement for this purpose? If the doors were really closed, of course I wouldn't think so. But I do see women, even in engineering and computer science.
Hi Christi,
I'm involved in the AAUW project called Voices, and we just received information highlighting how few women have bylines in magazines and newspapers. It quoted Jonathan Chait as follows: "My explanation, which I can’t prove, is socialization predisposes boys to be more interested both in producing and consuming opinion journalism. Confidence in one’s opinions and a willingness to engage in intellectual combat are disproportionately (though not, of course, exclusively) male traits. I’ve come across several writers in my career who are good at writing in the argumentative style but lack confidence in their ability. They are all female."
I think low confidence and not inability can explain a lot of the lack of women scientists as well. But I'm with Elizabeth Blackburn, who some years ago suggested that rather than women adapting to any female-uncomfortable aspects of science, science should look to change its own culture. I think we DO need women in science to change the way it's done in ways that will benefit both men and women. Could I answer B, C, and D?
cheers,
Laura Hoopes
I really like your comment, Meghan, and agree with it wholeheartedly.
The pervasive social assumption regarding female careers has traditionally been that women succeed as caregivers, so long as they are supervised by men. Waitresses, secretaries, teachers, and nurses are examples of "women's work", and all report to and receive direction from their male administrators.
Is there any aspect of femininity that makes us inherently better at fetching beer, answering the telephone, instructing children, and administering vaccinations? Or have we been misled into dismissing talents outside of traditional service roles? American women are grossly underrepresented in the STEM fields, but women of many eastern countries often outnumber their male counterparts in STEM fields. This indicates a socio-cultural, not a biological, influence on our career choices. By limiting our involvement in STEM fields, we limit progress in those fields, and diminish the quality of STEM services and creations available to our economy.
STEM fields tend to require a greater investment and education than fields with a higher percentage of women, but also tend to pay better and have a more stable job market. Women have more expenses than men, due to the high percentage of children being financially supported exclusively by their mothers. Women need stable, well-paying jobs as much as, if not more, than men.
Science, technology, engineering, and math need women for our skill, talent, and tenacity. We are valuable resources that are being underutilized. Women need science, technology, engineering and math jobs for the ability to maintain financial stability by doing what we are good at.
Shuna, thanks for your comment. This question of why we need women in STEM fields often comes from people suggesting that if women want to go into STEM fields, that that's fine, but that there is no particular reason why the government or any institution at all should promote it.
I haven't heard anyone say that we "shouldn't" have women in STEM fields, but there are a good number of well-meaning folks who say that there is no particular reason to encourage women in these fields.
I intended for this question of why we need women in STEM fields to address this perspective.
Option E: Because denying 50% of the population the chance to enter a field of work is along the lines of a human rights violation?
All of these options talk of "the good of the STEM field". None of them seem to mention that active discrimination is usually a bad idea on general terms. Even if women brought no different ideas than men, or were no more likely to have that brilliant idea, you simply cannot discriminate against a whole swath of the population like that.
Are there any reasons why we *shouldn't* have women in STEM fields?
