Women: Their Underrepresentation and Career Differentials in Science and Engineering: Proceedings of a Conference (1987)

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INTRODUCTION Women and members of minority groups, markedly underrepresented in science and engineering in this country, are an increasingly important source of talent for maintaining world leadership in these areas. Re- cent reports documenting this underrepresentation, prepared by NSF for the U.S. Congress, have been limited to statistical descriptions of the differences in participation rates. OSEP agreed to sponsor this work- shop to explore what is known about the causes of the observed under- representation and differential participation of women at all educa- tional levels and about the patterns and causes of their differential career development relative to men.* Four commissioned papers covered critical parts of the educational pipeline—precollege, undergraduate, and graduate education—as well as postgraduation careers, and two researchers served as critical discus- sants of them. As noted in the papers,** many factors influence the underrepresentation of girls and women in science and engineering. In general, the authors found that many students, teachers, parents, and researchers imagine that the fields of science, engineering, and mathe- matics are masculine and that differences in scientific ability amy be attributable to gender differences. Specific findings include: • College-bound women lack adequate preparation in mathematics and physical science to pursue quantitatively-oriented science pro- grams in college and, hence, quantitatively-oriented careers. • Many colleges base admission on one's preparation in mathematics and physical science and on Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, re- ducing the pool of women eligible for admission to institutions and to programs that focus on engineering and science. • Less financial aid is available for women students in science and engineering than for the male counterparts. *OSEP and its predecessor, the Commission on Human Resources, sponsored the Committee on the Education and Employment of Women in Science and Engineering (CEEWISE) from l973 until l982. That committee's work contributed significantly to the understanding of career differentials discussed in this report. **Throughout this proceedings volume, the views expressed by the au- thors and other participants are those of individuals and are not to be attributed either to the National Research Council or to the National Science Foundation. l

• Women enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate science courses show diminished self-confidence. • Employers, whether in industry or academia, do not accommodate women scientists and engineers who choose to put their careers on hold briefly while giving birth and raising children. The authors cited a number of societal, institutional, discipli- nary, and individual efforts that could contribute to the more equi- table treatment of girls and women in science and engineering: • Concentrated attempts to improve the achievement in science and mathematics of students—particularly, girls and members of ethnic minority groups—beginning at the elementary school level. This might be accomplished by a combination of inservice training of teachers, the use of curricular materials that provide a more balanced presentation of male and female scientists, the develop- ment of strategies for educating parents about the opportunities available to both boys and girls, and the availability of role models who might serve as mentors. • Comprehensive institutional programs that include the following elements: recruitment, retention, employment, and evaluation. • Participation by industry, professional societies, and the govern- ment in activities involving women in engineering. Such partici- pation would include funding (l) to evaluate successful programs as well as to implement them more widely and (2) to influence women's participation in science programs at all levels. Besides research findings, participants were asked to specify im- portant areas for future study based on an evolving understanding of these issues. The following unanswered questions should be studied: • What determines one's early development of interest patterns and self-perceptions about ability in science and mathematics? • What characterizes successful precollege intervention programs and successful programs designed to encourage greater admission and retention of women in college engineering courses? • How can change be effected in society's attitude toward women's roles in the work force and the subsequent change of women's attitudes about and awareness of science and engineering as career fields open to them? • What are the structural barriers to women's pursuit of graduate education in mathematics, the sciences, and engineering? • How different are the career aspirations of women and men scien- tists and engineers? What is the relationship between career aspirations and career attainment? The workshop provided an opportunity to review the issues in depth. It is hoped that this volume will clarify them and help to shape intervention strategies to increase women's participation and status in these important fields. Linda Dix