Begell House Inc.
Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
JWM
1072-8325
12
4
2006
Chinese Engineers in Canada: a ‘Model Minority’? and Experiences and perceptions of the Glass Ceiling
253-273
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.10
Lloyd L.
Wong
Department of Sociology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4
Carol
Wong
University of Calgary, Canada
This paper answers the following three research questions: a) Are the Chinese in Canada a model minority? b) Does a glass ceiling exist for Chinese engineers in Canada? 3) What are Chinese engineers' perceptions and actual experiences of the glass ceiling? The data utilized to answer these questions come from the 2001 Census of Canada and a mail survey to Chinese engineers who graduated from the University of Calgary. The findings indicate that the model minority thesis has limited applicability to the Chinese in Canada. When Chinese scientists and engineers' incomes are examined, there is a much lower return to their education and their experience when compared to Whites, which points to their under-representation in higher paying management positions and the existence of a glass ceiling. The survey findings show that most of the respondents perceive a glass ceiling and that a sizable proportion have personally experienced hitting the glass ceiling and/or have known other Chinese engineers who have. The paper ends with a discussion of the obstacles identified by respondents that prevent them from being promoted into and within management level positions.
SENIOR WOMEN SCIENTISTS OVERLOOKED AND UNDERSTUDIED?
275-293
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.20
Sue V.
Rosser
San Francisco State University
In its continuing efforts to attract and retain a highly competent and diverse scientific and engineering workforce, the United States has explored a variety of strategies particularly targeted towards women. Earlier research conducted by the author analyzed the responses of more than 450 women scientists and engineers, mostly untenured assistant professors, who received either a NSF Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) award or a Clare Booth Luce (CBL) Professorship award, to an e-mail questionnaire regarding specific barriers that institutions and professional societies might remove through changes in policy and practice. Anecdotal evidence from ADVANCE institutions, as well as the MIT Report, suggests that more senior women scientists and engineers may face a different, equally problematic, set of barriers. This study uses the population of Association for Women in Science Fellows — more than 100 senior, distinguished women and men scientists and engineers elected by the Association for Women in Science for their contributions to science and technology and for their support to women in science and engineering — to explore perceived differences of barriers for junior and senior women scientists.
Middle School-Aged Children's Attitudes toward Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology and the Effects of Media Literacy Training
295-323
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.30
Jocelyn
Steinke
Western Michigan University
Maria
Lapinski
Department of Communication and National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University
Aletta
Zietsman-Thomas
University of Witwaterstrand
Paul
Nwulu
Western Michigan University
Nikki
Crocker
Western Michigan University
Yaschica
Williams
Western Michigan University
Stephanie
Higdon
Western Michigan University
Sarvani
Kuchibhotla
Western Michigan University
This study examined the efficacy of media literacy training designed to teach critical thinking about gender stereotypes on middle school-aged children's recognition of gender stereotypes; perceptions of women in science, engineering, and technology (SET); and attitudes toward SET and SET careers. A total of 302 seventh-grade students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: discussion, discussion plus viewing of media images of women, or a control. No significant differences were found on attitudes toward women in science and attitudes toward science among middle school-aged children who participated in either media literacy training condition compared with those who did not participate in media literacy training. However, significant differences in girls and boys' perceptions of women in SET and their attitudes toward women in SET were found for girls and boys' evaluations of the characteristics of female scientists, with girls rating female scientists as more skillful, intelligent, expert, and qualified than did boys. In addition, girls and boys had very different scores on items that asked about women in science, with girls being more likely than boys to have positive attitudes toward women being as good at science careers as men, women having access to science courses and career opportunities, and a woman's career having the same value as a man's career. The boys' negative attitudes toward women in science found in this study were related to the extent to which boys reported that the media played an important role in their lives. The implications for future research on media influences on middle school-aged children's perceptions of gender and science and the development of media literacy interventions to promote girls' interest in SET will be addressed.
THE ROLE OF ATTITUDES AND INTERVENTION IN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' INTEREST IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
325-336
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.40
Erica S.
Weisgram
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 2100 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI, 54481
Rebecca S.
Bigler
University of Texas at Austin
Computer science is a rapidly growing field in which women are greatly underrepresented. To increase the number of women in computer science, more needs to be known about the factors that affect girls' interest in the field. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to investigate the role of attitudes in predicting high school girls' interest in computer science and (b) to experimentally manipulate cognitions through intervention to examine possible consequent effects on computer science interest. Results indicated that girls' self-efficacy in, valuing of, and egalitarian attitudes toward computer science were jointly predictive of interest in computer science, though no one construct uniquely predicted interest. In contrast, boys' valuing of computer science was uniquely predictive of interest in computer science beyond the effects of self-efficacy and egalitarian attitudes. Further, girls' valuing of and egalitarian attitudes toward computer science can be increased via intervention. Experimentally induced increases in self-efficacy, valuing, and egalitarian attitudes toward computer science were not, however, causally linked to increases in computer science interest. As in other research, girls' interest in computer science was largely resistant to change. Implications for intervention strategies and theoretical models of the development of nontraditional occupational goals are discussed.
GENDER DIFFERENCES AND INTRAGENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS: ARE FEMALE CS MAJORS MORE SIMILAR TO MALE CS MAJORS OR FEMALE NONMAJORS?
337-365
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.50
Susan
Haller
State University of New York-Potsdam
Sylvia
Beyer
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, WI, 53141
This paper presents the findings of a study investigating a) intragender differences, i.e., differences between female computer science (CS) majors and female nonmajors; and b) gender differences in CS students. To this end, we compared female CS majors, female nonmajors, male CS majors, and male nonmajors. We found evidence for substantial gender differences on social psychological variables such as values, interests, and computer self-efficacy. However, we also found that in many respects (e.g., attitudes towards CS, CS careers, and work-life balance) female majors were more similar to male majors than to female nonmajors. We discuss the implications of these findings for women's underrepresentation in CS.
ASSESSING AND IMPROVING THE BELOW AVERAGE VISUALIZATION ABILITIES OF A GROUP OF MINORITY ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS
367-380
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.60
Nancy. E.
Study
Department of Engineering and Technology, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA, 23806
Visualization is a significant factor in the creation of mental models and in the interaction with the often abstract concepts that are important for success in engineering and technology related majors. An ongoing study has found that a particular sample of minority engineering and technology students at a historically black university scored statistically significantly lower than average on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations when administered as a pretest in a 2D-focused mechanical drawing course. The posttest scores of these same subjects, after a semester of instruction, were still not up to average. Because of the inadequate increase in posttest scores, remediation that focused on sketching and other exercises to improve visualization was implemented in subsequent offerings of the course. The posttest scores of those students receiving remediation improved to bring the mean up to average.
Annual Index to Volume 12
381-386
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.v12.i4.70