The face of STEM

An exploration of how stereotypes keep you from being the face of STEM and what you can do to break them

Image: Elly Walton

What are STEM stereotypes?

A stereotype is a preconceived notion about a group of people. Stereotypes help us navigate the world and contextualize an individual’s behaviour by allowing us to perceive them through the lens of our beliefs. However, such a mechanism also allows for us to make incorrect assumptions about people based on unrelated factors. Like in all other spheres of life, stereotypes also manifest themselves in STEM fields. STEM has been historically dominated by white men, proof of which can be seen in the image of the 1911 Solvay Conference above wherein intellectuals from all around the globe first gathered to discuss pressing matters of science. More than a century later, a lack of diversity still persists, a shortcoming which may very well be attributed to pre-existing and new stereotypes surrounding the notion of what a person of science looks like. It is in acknowledging their influence that we may begin to understand the significant absence of women in high school math classes or why employers often prefer White and Asian candidates to their equally qualified Black and Hispanic counterparts.

Where do they manifest themselves?

Language

Media

Education

Workplace

Stereotypes are embedded into the very language we speak. A recent study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University investigated 25 languages that had gender stereotypes ingrained in them which had the ability to discourage the active involvement of women in STEM. The study showed how the word “woman” was used in conjunction with the words “home” and “children” most frequently, and the word “man” was more frequently used in relation with “career” and “work.” Thus, linguistic associations have the power to inform implicit biases.

The damaging effect of stereotypes gets further compounded when we add to it the lack of role-models available to upturn set expectations and associations. It is widely known and established through methods such as the Bechdel test that women and individuals from diverse racial backgrounds have been historically underrepresented in film and television. Research conducted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2012 found that when it came to the depiction of adult occupations in children’s media, there was a 15:1 ratio of male: female STEM job holders. This is significant because it is representation that leads to participation.

The problem of lacking role-models is also applicable to a learning environment, wherein students are discouraged from pursuing their field of interest because institutions lack faculty that is diverse enough to represent their student body. The inability to foster interpersonal relationships with university staff and classmates due to cultural and background differences often drives students to leave STEM subject areas in search of better representation and relatability.

A recurring pattern that has been observed in hiring committees in STEM is the reduced tendency to hire women and persons of color in favor of their equally qualified male and White/Asian counterparts. This is known as hiring bias and stems from stereotype-motivated implicit biases and prejudices. Additionally, in order to make a STEM career a viable option and equitable experience for URMs such as women or working parents, organizations must take measures such as providing flexible work hours, gender-neutral parental leaves, and childcare facilities.

How do they impact:

the negatively stereotyped group?

A study that surveyed the interest of upper primary students in pursuing a STEM education found that their stereotypical beliefs surrounding STEM informed their career expectations and predicted their self-efficacy in the field, which in turn worked to lower their interests in the field. A similar correlation between negative stereotypes and reduced career interests in STEM has been found in other studies as well. What is more striking to note is that these beliefs not only make individuals question their ability and competency, but also directly hamper with their actual performance. This finding is best explained through the concept of stereotype threat. Stereotype threat is defined as a “situational predicament in which individuals are at a risk of confirming negative stereotypes about their group.” For example, making women aware of the negative stereotype associated with their gender’s mathematical abilities has resulted in a poorer performance from them.

the perceptions of outsiders?

Negative stereotypes regarding a certain group have been shown to inform the expectations and behaviors of members of the outgroup. A study conducted on the influence of stereotypes on faculty perceptions asked biology and physics professors to rate graduate students on likability, competence and hireability based on their curriculum vitae. The CVs were identical except for the gender and race of the candidates, which was varied between Asian, Black, Latinx and White. The results of the experiment showed that the physics professors rated the male candidates higher than the female candidates, and rated the White and Asian candidates above the Black and Latinx candidates. Such an arbitrary bias harbored by educators has deeper implications in affecting the future performance of students.

What can be done to combat them?

Negative stereotypes pertaining to STEM are associated with its history of academic elitism, wherein it was mainly accessible to white males having high socioeconomic status. This leads individuals from low SES backgrounds to believe that the field is not accessible to them today either. This can be reversed through the implementation of strict measures to ensure diversity. Organizations should mandate that hiring managers interview candidates from diverse backgrounds and should ensure that their workplace environment is conducive for the growth of diverse individuals. Educational institutions must reflect the diversity they expect from their students in their own staff and faculty who must be easily accessible to students inside and outside the classroom. If diverse participation is desired, diverse representation must exist, be it in the media or in the way certain companies brand themselves. On the personal level, all one can do to work against the stereotype is try to gain experience and form connections in their field of interest, so they can feel like they are indeed deserving and belong in STEM. On the next page I share some resources that I hope can help anyone make STEM more accessible to themselves.

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