by: elizabeth grauKids are bombarded with myriad stimuli throughout the day, each of which shapes the mindset of the kid in individually unique ways—many of which are received subconsciously. Of those stimuli, toys, though used recreationally, are one of the most influential objects placed in a kid’s life. Toys allow kids a chance to escape into a world which they have created for themselves and what influences how events play out in those worlds of imagination are entirely dependent upon the child. In these instances, the kids seem to have more effect on the toy rather than vice versa; however, I social situations, such as when kids are playing with those same toys together, the threshold for imaginative freedom is lower. When in groups, human propensity is to gravitate toward the common ground of the group’s opinions out of desire for acceptance, a desire that holds true seemingly regardless of age. It is in these moments of group interactions that social pressure is at its greatest and kids are more likely to shift their views and beliefs to meet that common group of the group.
This tendency is where the “intended role” of toys, as suggested by the toy producers, comes out rather than a role the toy previously assumed when kids are outside of that social pressure to conform. Because of this the normal social cues which, regardless of whether or not they are right or wrong, become reinforced by the group through those toys. So, similarly to the Computer Engineering Barbie and book released by Barbie manufacturers, kids who may not have previously known what a computer engineer is are more likely to follow the suggested storyline when around other kids than to create their own role and storyline for the Barbie. To follow the suggested storyline is safe and a common ground. It’s what is assumed to be correct. Thus, in instances such as that of Computer Engineering Barbie, the role of Barbie as merely a girl who requires the help of her male cohorts to fix simple problems rather than empowering Barbie and showing her fixing it herself, can become more deeply engrained into the subconscious mindset of kids, male and female alike, further fortifying stereotypes behind gender roles in science in addition to what it means to be a scientist. However, this isn’t to say that all science toys follow this pattern. The boxes of toys often speak more than the toy in a positive light. For example, I had a crystal growing kit which I absolutely loved. I never successfully grew any crystals, but the idea behind it was still fascinating. The box was this large box which contained both a boy and a girl on it staring in amazement at the crystals that they had just created. I had always considered myself to be a science-oriented person, but that didn’t mean that I was immune to subliminal messages transmitted through such advertisement. I was significantly less likely to want something that had two boys placed on the box staring in amazement at something than I did when it was a boy and a girl. Furthermore, I was less likely to want to play with a toy that was found in the “boy’s section” of a store than the girl’s section. Thus, while I was extremely interested in the mobile planetarium my sister received for her birthday, I was significantly less interested/confused on how to feel because the box contained to boys—this was a boy gift. Though I had considered myself a tomboy for a large portion of my life, spending my days running around a pack of guys, even walking around my house without a shirt on during the earlier parts of my childhood to prove such while my mom implored me to put a shirt on, I still was subject to fall into the trap of believing that there were certain things that boys were supposed to like and certain things that girls were supposed to like. These stereotypes, I think, can be combated subtly in conversation and in reaction to subliminal messages produced by advertisers. For example, this past summer I worked as a counselor at a summer camp, and one of my favorite things to do was, during our snack time when there were multiple groups of kids in one area, I would have ‘girl talk’ on top of one of the playgrounds. Anyone was welcome to join, and rather than leading the conversation by talking about boys and how annoying they were (a topic that came up at least five times a day), I would talk about science and some of the awesome things that were happening or could happen. One of my favorite conversations was when we talked about time travel and space. Everyone designed their own time machine—what would it include?—and we discussed whether or not we though time travel was possible. This wasn’t a serious conversation by any means, but I found that a lot of the girls really enjoyed it and it was neat to see their imaginations run wild in a direction not typically encouraged for girls (not to say that it’s discouraged, because I don’t think that it is, it just isn’t as common for girls to be encouraged to talk about science among themselves than boys). In short, I think that there are a plethora of ways to combat inappropriate stereotypes. My preferred method is to simply include topics I feel aren’t brought up as often in conversations among girls as they are among guys, especially at an early age. Combating stereotypes is something that can occur at any point in time and in so many different forms, but I think that inappropriate stereotypes become engrained at an early age and therefore combating ought to take place at an earlier age. Simply reminding girls and guys alike that they are not confined within their gender is important. by: elizabeth grauUpon learning about this course, I immediately supported its cause. Differences in the way that women are treated in STEM areas of study and work exist insidiously in most cases, often undetected until a closer eye is applied to the situation. However, as I applied a closer eye to my own life throughout this course, I’ve realized exceedingly so that I have faced very few hardships along my path toward becoming a doctor. I say this comparatively, of course, because there is no easy path toward becoming a doctor (otherwise I would definitely opt for it). However, that being said, as we further discuss the discrepancies between men and women in STEM, I come to realize more-so than before that I will likely soon be joining the ranks of women who daily face adversity within their field of choice simply due to gender biases.
Following reading the article ‘5 Biases Pushing Women Out of STEM’ I began to see increasingly more parallels between what was being discussed and my insecurities that I had assumed were typical issues that arose simply from being in college. As I look more closely at those insecurities such as not feeling as though I am up to par, though on paper I am, I realize that a lot of that has stemmed from being a woman pursuing an ambitious career. Even in high school when I would offer help to guys within my calculus class I was treated as though my information were unreliable and they would then seek another opinion. I ended up scoring a 5 on the AP exam for that class while those whom they were seeking a second opinion from did not pass. Instances such as that have left me on my guard ready to prove myself in any way necessary that I am suitable for whatever is being asked whether it be within my classes or within life in general. This brings me to the second point in the article that women need to adopt more masculine mannerisms in order be seen as competent. This is something that I have done without realizing it since I was in elementary school and it’s a tendency that has only increased along with my level of education. I find that when I dress in a more feminine fashion, I feel the need to hold my head higher and to speak more rather than less in discussions almost as though I’m proving something. Additionally, when discussing my future career choice, which is to potentially become a surgeon, I feel that I’m facing an uphill battle and the battle hasn’t even begun. The matter of family comes into discussion almost immediately, as surgeons live extraordinary lives dedicating extraordinary time to their profession. While by no means have I made a decision as to what my career path will be, it often feels as though becoming a surgeon is ruled out for me before I’ve even had a chance. Furthermore, following discussions with other surgeons, it’s rather well-known that males are favored over females because the hospital is afraid women will become pregnant and have to go on maternity leave. This should not be a punishment, nor should it be a limiting factor, and it’s a limiting factor that I know that I will be facing soon as I compete for the same position as many men who do not hold the same ‘risks.’ These issues in themselves, however, are mild compared to those faced by women who also identify with minority races. I think that to assist with bridging the gap of women of color in science, scholarships specifically in place to accommodate any needs along with groups similar to ours that accompany these scholarships to grant the support needed for them to be successful could go a long way. Intimidation is a massive factor when attempting to pursue your dreams, and it shouldn’t defer anyone from that dream. I think that giving these women the keys that they need to be successful is absolutely necessary and is an initiative that ought to be implemented more-so than it already is. by: destiny luttrellThe idea of work-life balance can be drastically different from one person to the next. For me, work-life balance is the idea of not necessarily keeping them separate from each other completely, but understanding that I need to make time for them both. Rather than intertwining them and never breaking from one or the other, it would be focusing on work/school when I am there, and on my personal life when I leave work. Often times this isn’t completely possible though, as certain aspects of our lives will often overlap no matter how much we try to separate them. We just need to keep in mind that in order to have a “perfect” work-life balance, we need to determine how much time and energy that means we are willing to put into each area of our lives and figure out the best way to do that without taking from the other.
In order to try and achieve success with this ideal work-life balance, I would first need to define exactly what this would mean to me. Currently in my life, as a full-time college student, this is what is considered as my “work”. On the other end of the spectrum my personal life involves my sorority, my boyfriend, my friends, my family, pets, and various hobbies, etc. Often I get overwhelmed as all of these areas of my life intertwine and I cannot determine where work stops and my personal life starts. This is why I feel that a good work-life balance is important to achieve. When all of your life is combined, it starts making everything seem like work as you try to do it all, rather than being able to enjoy the things you would normally enjoy. I plan to begin working towards achieving my ideal work-life balance by planning my days differently. Rather than just doing things at random times, I will instead set aside specific times that are designated to “work” and specific times devoted to my personal life. This way I always know when it is time to work on things that must get done, and I will also know when I have free time to just relax, spend with friends and family, or just do something fun. This summer I will be interning at a company full-time, 40 hours a week. While it will not be during my normal routine of things I normally do, and will be in another state than family and friends, I can use this as a time to perfect my work-life balance. I will be working everyday Monday thru Friday from about 8am-5pm. This means that on weekends and evenings I will have time to spend doing things other than work. Many people often take work home with them and end up work hours at home everyday off the clock. While I believe that there are certain instances and cases where working at home or even on your own time is necessary and important, I feel that it is also important to remember to take care of yourself. The only way to really, truly take care of yourself is to keep yourself healthy (physically, mentally, etc.), whether that means taking time for yourself if you are sick, unwinding in the evenings and on weekends, and just doing things for you at times. No matter how much you love your job, if you let it take over your life too much and don’t take care of yourself and allow yourself to take breaks, then it could end up causing your body to not be capable of working. Finding the perfect work-life balance for you is the best thing you could do, and for me that means making sure that while I put my all into my job, I focus on myself, my health, and my life outside of the job as well. By: destiny LuttrellWhen a child goes to pick out a toy they want at the store, often the parents steer them towards the toys that are “appropriate” for their gender. Most young girls only get to play with dolls, kitchen sets, and anything else that is remotely feminine, while the boys get to play with cars, action figures, and Legos. In many instances, this is the only way it was allowed to be. Boys played with boy toys and girls played with girl toys. The affect that this stereotype has on children can impact their future, making them believe they are only able to do what is considered normal for their specific gender.
If a girl plays with Barbie’s and all of the advertised Barbie’s are for careers such as a teacher, a lifeguard, a flight attendant, a ballerina, a model, a cheerleader, and many others along these lines, girls will start to get a certain image of women in their head. It begins to create this idea that they are limited to these options, that if they wanted to be a scientist, an engineer, a mathematician, that it wasn’t possible, because they were a girl and science was for boys. When in a store the dolls are advertised for girls in bright pink boxes with sparkles and glitter, while the Legos and science experiment kits are usually in blue boxes and in a separate aisle. Toys being divided by aisles that clearly show you which one a little girl should be in and which one a little boy should be in does nothing but continue to contribute to these stereotypes. When I was growing up I was pretty lucky. While a lot of my friends grew up with parents who pushed the gender appropriate toys on them, my parents allowed me to be free to play with what I chose. I had Barbie’s and dolls like all the other girls, but I also played with Hot-wheels and Legos, building things endlessly, which was what the boys always did. Rather than limiting my choices and creating the idea that I was only capable of doing something feminine, my parents supported the idea of me being whatever I wanted to be. When I wanted to be an architect, they bought me drawing supplies, when I wanted to be a fashion designer I got sets that allowed me to do just that, and when I thought science was cool, I got a telescope. All of these toys affected me because I grew up with the mindset that I could be anything I wanted to be, no matter if the boys thought that I couldn’t do it or not. Young girls always get told to stick to their feminine side and let the boys do the dirty work, while boys get put down if they aren’t as manly as someone expects them to be. The world we live in is full of these stereotypes that are nowhere near being true, as there are women who are in these fields and are successful. In response to these stereotypes we need to encourage children to play freely with whatever type of toy they choose, whether the girl choices a truck and the boy chooses a doll. I have two nephews, and when my youngest nephew asked me for a baby doll for Christmas when he was 3, I promised him I would buy him one. Christmas morning came and one of his favorite presents was the doll that he could push in the stroller that I had gotten him. While I did not see it as a big deal, his dad did, and seemed to be upset that I had bought that for him; since it was not the typical toy you would expect a boy to get on Christmas. However I encouraged my nephews to play with whatever they wanted, whether it was the Kitchen Set he asked for this past Christmas at age 4, or the dirt bike he wanted for his birthday in March. Rather than limiting their options, we need to allow them to have the freedom to choose what they want, in order to let them form into what they truly want to be, regardless of any typical stereotypes that come with it. I for one am glad my parents never limited me, or I may have never ended up as the Computer Science major that I am today. By: hayden pollardMy mentor for this initiative is Stacey Slone. She is a statistician at the Markey Canter Center. I had a chance last week to sit down with her and ask her a couple questions about her career in STEM. The first question I asked her was when and why she decided to go into the STEM field. She told me that math was always her strongest subject in high school, so when she got to college, it seemed natural for her to major in math even though she wasn’t really sure what kind of career she wanted. She chose a liberal arts college so that she didn’t have to be stuck in her STEM major if she decided that was not for her. She began taking a statistics course in her junior year of college, and really enjoyed it. This was when she began considering statistics as a career, and eventually earned a minor in the field. She also did her masters work in statistics. Her college experiences had a great impact on Stacey’s choice to remain in the STEM field for her entire career.
The second question I asked my mentor was whether or not there were any individuals, experiences, or other factors that influenced her to go into the STEM field in the first place. She told me about a high school math teacher, Mrs. Ada Sue Crum, who encouraged her to pursue a math degree in college. Clearly, for Stacey and for many others, it was important to her career to have someone who acted as an advocate and who pushed her to be her best. My third question was asking about her key success points on her way to her STEM career. She points to her mentors at Wake Forest University as some of the biggest reasons why she was successful in becoming a woman in the STEM field. Her educators, and eventually her co-workers, all pushed her to do her best and encouraged her to grow in the field. She pointed to Dr. Dave Reboussin as a particularly useful resource in her journey to becoming successful in her field. He encouraged her to work independently, but also helped her out when she needed it. Stacey’s colleagues at Wake Forest are largely responsible for her success in her field, and clearly, they never turned away just because she was a woman. Everyone woman looking to go into a STEM field needs colleagues and mentors like the ones Stacey found at Wake Forest. The final question that I asked Stacey was whether or not she had experienced adversity in her career because she was a woman in a STEM field. She replied that she did not feel that she had ever faced adversity. She also mentioned, however, that she had never left her job in academia in order to work in the private sector. Stacey could make a larger salary in the private sector, but has never tried to leave academia because she enjoys the flexibility that it provides to her schedule. This has allowed her to raise a family. Although Stacey does not see this as adversity that she has faced, I would have to say that I do after the discussion we had in class last week. She has taken a step back and not allowed her career to grow to its fullest potential because her first priority was being a mother. I understand this choice, but I also think that there should be ways for women to have great careers and not have to be full time mothers. I really enjoyed talking to Stacey, and all her valuable insight she included in her answers. By: Hayden PollardDuring this past class session, we sat down and talked with Dr. Judy Goldsmith. Dr. Goldsmith is a professor in Computer Science, and has been a mentor since her undergrad years at Princeton. She came to talk to us about mentoring, and why it is so important, especially for women in STEM. Dr. Goldsmith has really done a lot of work in this area with multiple people, so she was very knowledgeable. We learned that mentoring comes in many forms. Some mentors will offer emotional support, while others will be able to give you information you need in order to be successful. Each of these aspects of mentoring are very important, and because all of these elements are needed, many mentors are needed as well. I thought that this was an interesting and very important point, because often times students think that they only need one mentor, when in fact they need a whole network of them in order to achieve success. One mentor cannot always offer everything you need, so it is vital to seek out many different individuals in order to find the right group to help you achieve success.
Dr. Goldsmith also pointed out that we, as students, could be mentors right now. We don’t have to wait until we are older and more knowledgeable about how our field work. Sometimes, a mentor just needs to be someone who is willing to sit down and be a listening ear for another person. This is very useful information, because sometimes I feel like I can’t really help others because I am still a student myself. The idea that I could just be there for moral support was a really good point, and one I hadn’t fully considered before this class session. This is definitely something I want to start doing for others, especially other women in STEM. Sometimes it is just so nice to feel like there is someone else out there who knows what you are going through, and understands how you feel. We also discussed that having a mentor or a mentee is great, but that sometimes people just are not compatible. Dr. Goldsmith emphasized that it is important to have an “opt- out” option when it comes to mentoring. This way, if something is not working, it is okay to just walk away and not waste your time. This is important, because as great as it is to have a mentor, sometimes they just cannot offer what you need. They may be a great person, but its not fair to waste either of your time. On a similar note, if you are a mentor and things are simply not working out with your mentee, it is fine to let them know that you will not be continuing the mentoring relationship. It is important to get something out of a mentoring experience, and if that is not happening, it should not be continued. As a woman in STEM, mentoring is so important in order to be successful. Dr. Goldsmith was able to give valuable information about this topic, and engage us in conversation about how to be the best mentor possible, and how to find the best mentor possible. |