Individuals who belong to different minority groups go to their place of work expecting to be treated in the same way that everyone else is treated, but often the mistreatment they experience ends up making it hard to even be at work. That mistreatment is experienced for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) fields. The STEM field is male-dominated, making it challenging for women to gain any acknowledgment or recognition as they advance through their career, thus leading to even more negative impacts. These challenges can make it hard for any woman to succeed in the STEM careers and may make them wonder if they should even enter a STEM field.
Tokenism
Many individuals in minority groups have felt the pressure of being a representative of the whole community that they are a part of, as if they are a token representative. In terms of women in STEM, the idea that STEM fields are only for men continues to result in the mistreatment of women and a decrease in the number of women who enjoy long careers in STEM. This also leads to women becoming tokens across different STEM fields and STEM careers as a whole, and this underrepresentation then contributes to negative environments for women in STEM (Settles).
In male-dominated fields, women often view themselves as being underestimated by their peers, held to different standards, and being in a fishbowl, where everything they do is compared to everyone around them and evaluated more negatively. These beliefs and women’s status as tokens in the workplace often leads to demotivation, lower levels of performance and diminished aspirations for the future (Zimmer). To some, this might provide “proof” that women are not the ideal candidates for these careers. To others, this is evidence of the harm of believing that being a certain gender makes one better than anyone else.
Continue reading: https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/blogs/2022/gender-discrepancies-in-stem
Tokenism
Many individuals in minority groups have felt the pressure of being a representative of the whole community that they are a part of, as if they are a token representative. In terms of women in STEM, the idea that STEM fields are only for men continues to result in the mistreatment of women and a decrease in the number of women who enjoy long careers in STEM. This also leads to women becoming tokens across different STEM fields and STEM careers as a whole, and this underrepresentation then contributes to negative environments for women in STEM (Settles).
In male-dominated fields, women often view themselves as being underestimated by their peers, held to different standards, and being in a fishbowl, where everything they do is compared to everyone around them and evaluated more negatively. These beliefs and women’s status as tokens in the workplace often leads to demotivation, lower levels of performance and diminished aspirations for the future (Zimmer). To some, this might provide “proof” that women are not the ideal candidates for these careers. To others, this is evidence of the harm of believing that being a certain gender makes one better than anyone else.
Continue reading: https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/blogs/2022/gender-discrepancies-in-stem
