GENDER INEQUALIT

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INTRODUCTION

Part One: The Social Factors

Discussed By Bree King

Part Two: Quantitative Data From OR School

Discussed By Dakota MacColl

Part Three: Qualitative Data From Graduate Students & Professionals in OR

Discussed by Dakota MacColl

Part Four: An International Perspective

Discussed By Bella Harutyunyan

ACKNOWLEDGING BIAS

We are aware the data we have is not representative to the problem as a whole.

We are aware we are an all female group speaking on a topic of female oppression. However, the issue of gender imbalance as a presentation was started by a male group member that did not get to finish working on the project.

SHE ++

http://sheplusplus.stanford.edu/film/

SHE++ is a short documentary that looks at women who are breaking the stereotype and entering a male dominated occupations in technology, engineering and more. The film was directed by two female technologists from Stanford.

WHY SHE ++

It directly discusses women in STEM occupations

It addresses the gender stereotypes we found in our research

It shows women breaking the gender stereotype

It offers several positive suggestions on what needs to change and how?

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WHAT ARE THE FACTORS?

• Culture• Family

Structure• Childhood

Education• Social

Influences

• Educational Environment

• Religion• Peers/

Colleagues• Work Place

Source: International Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol. 05, No. 05 (2012)

STEREOTYPES CREATED BY SOCIETY

B R E A D W I N N E R

Typically Male

More likely to be in highpaying jobs

Blue Collar

Corporate, STEM, Hard Labor jobs

CARE GIVERTypically Female

More likely to be in jobs that care for others

Pink Collar

Nursing, Social Work, Office setting jobs

Source: British Journal of Developmental Psychology (2011)

WHAT IS STEM?

Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation (2011)

FACTORS AFFECTING WOMEN IN STEM

• A Lack of Female Role Models

• Gender Stereotyping

• Less Family-Friendly Flexibility

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation (2011)

THE FACTS: WOMEN IN STEM

• Less than 25% of women hold jobs in STEM fields.

• Women in STEM jobs earn 33% more than non-STEM job holders.

• Women have a low share in STEM undergraduate degrees.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation (2011)

WHAT IS THE GENDER GAP?

The differences in the outcomes amongst men and women’s achievements in the professional career industry.

Source: Claudia Goldin, Library of Economics and Liberty

WHAT IS THE FAMILY GAP?

“The wage differential between women with and without children.”

Source: Jane Waldfogel, Understanding the “Family Gap” in pay for Women with Children. (1998)

WHAT IS BLUE COLLAR VERSUS PINK COLLAR?

• The idea of segregated male and female jobs

• Normally falls under a stereotype

BLUE COLLAR

• Doctor• Corporate

Executive• Professor• Mechanic

PINK COLLAR

• Nurse• Office Assistant• Teacher• Customer

Service

STUDY SHOWING INFLUENCES ON MATRICULATION

A study within a college student journal in the early 2000’s was conducted that looked at reasons as to why students persistence was continued or stopped.

This study offers suggestions as to how we can help students continue their education.

“It is well documented that one of the most important aspects of student retention lies in the commitment of integrating students into the social communities of an institution.” (Rosenthal, 1995; Tinto, 1993)

INFLUENCES ON STUDENTS’ PERSISTENCE

Family Encouragement 95% Agreed 05% Disagree

Positive Relationships With Professors 90% Agreed 09% Disagree

Positive Course Experiences Within My Major 86% Agreed13% Disagree

Recreational Facilities 83% Agreed 15% Disagree

Desired Social Status Among Colleagues 82% Agreed 17% Disagree

Status of Friends (Bandwagon) 79% Agreed 20% Disagree

Source: Perceptions of College Students On Social Factors That Influence Student Matriculation

DISCOURAGING STUDENT PERSISTENCE

Too many school-related responsibilities 57% Agreed 40% Disagree

Lack of time management skills 52% Agreed 47% Disagree

Inability to handle stress 52% Agreed 47% Disagree

Negative experiences with other students 50% Agreed 48% Disagree

Being away from family members 44% Agreed 54% Disagree

Source: Perceptions of College Students On Social Factors That Influence Student Matriculation

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

• How do genders handle these social influences differently?

• Could we help change this?• How is our education system

helping to form these influences?• What can we do differently?

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INTRO: OHSU

• This school involves STEM• Fact Book• Local: OR• Assumption we would find

extremely different numbers of men and women enrolled in certain programs

FINDINGS

In 2013, women made up 56.2% of total enrollment at the school of medicine

Counter argument: Since there’s more women, things are okay.

FINDINGS

In 2013, men only made up 16.8% of the total enrollment at the school of nursing

Started off looking at fields with not a lot of women, found fields with not a lot of menLed us to interviews with professionals in that field

INTRO: OSU Wide variety of graduate programs Enrollment Summary for Spring 2014 Difference in numbers between 2013 and 2014

for males and females Shows the programs with the highest numbers

for males and females Local: OR

The assumption was that more males than females are enrolled at OSU.

OSU

Graduate program enrollment by gender:

In 2013:Men: 1,946Women: 1,718

In 2014:Men: 2,046Women: 1,764

OSU

Programs with higher number males:

Engineering = 2013: 813 2014: 788Science = 2013: 242 2014: 234Business Administration = 2013: 185 2014: 190

Programs with higher number of females:

Graduate School = 2013: 433 2014: 377Education = 2013: 201 2014: 200Public Health and Human

Sciences = 2013: 195 2014: 190

FINDINGS

• There are programs with more men than women, but there are also programs with more women then men.

• More men are enrolled at OSU than women. Men make up 53.2% of the enrollment while women are 46.8%.

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GRADUATE STUDENT INTERVIEWS The participants for the graduate student interviews were a forestry student

(MFS), 2 engineering students (MES and Alyssa), and a geology student (Adonara).

Students were found by contacting the head of the respective departments and asking if there would be any willing participants for our interviews

Both males participants provided answers, but asked to remain anonymous. The females gave answers and permission for their name to be used.

Chose to interview males and females for both perspectives

These interviews are not a representation of the whole population.

QUESTIONS ASKED

Do you see a difference in number of people of a certain gender in your program? If so, why do you think that is? Do you think gender role stereotypes contribute to this?

Do you think gender equality is important in your program?  Why or why not?

What are your beliefs about gender performance?  For example, do you think that there are certain jobs that are better done by men than women?

Do you believe that gender roles are still deeply institutionally and socially rooted in the workplace?  Why do you think that is?  Does that worry you?

Do you believe that there are certain resources that would help this process? What would they be and why do you think they would help?

HIGHLIGHTS FROM GRADUATE STUDENT INTERVIEWS

Difference in numbers? MES: Far more men than women, believes it’s from lack

of interest from women and discouragement from academic advisors

Alyssa (Engineering): Gender disparity is very noticeable

HIGHLIGHTS FROM GRADUATE STUDENT INTERVIEWS

Gender performance? MFS: Believes that because men and women are

biologically different they will gravitate toward different paths in life and be more successful at them

Importance of gender equality? All students agreed that gender equality within their

respective programs is extremely important

HIGHLIGHTS FROM GRADUATE STUDENT INTERVIEWS

Resources? MFS: Start teaching about gender roles in the home Alyssa (Engineering): Believes presence of mentors is

an important resource to students Adonara (Geology): Society must change or resources

won’t be of much help

Gender roles? Alyssa (Engineering): Believes sexism and gender roles

are deeply socially and institutionally rooted within education and the work place

INTERVIEWING PROFESSIONALS

Qualitative data – not representative of the whole population

Personal experience is meaningful and powerful

Male and Female Perspectives

In Sociology, Interviews are an accepted methodology of research for qualitative data

PROFESSIONALS INTERVIEWED

Colleen O’ConnellBSN Registered Nurse (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

Nurse Manager at the surgical inpatient unit at Peacehealth Riverbend in Springfield, OR

PROFESSIONALS INTERVIEWED

Chris WebbPhysician Assistant at Peacehealth Riverbend Hospital in Springfield, OR

QUESTIONS ASKED

Do you see a difference in a number of people of a certain sex in your field? Why do you think that is? Do you think it has anything to do with gender stereotypes?

What do you think we can do to get more members of the opposite sex in your field of work?

What are your experiences with gender performance stereotypes in the workplace? Do you see or deal with people that believe certain jobs are better done by a man than a women? How do you handle those situations?

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEWS

Difference in numbers?Colleen (RN): Absolutely, definitely a gendered and female dominated field. It’s about 80% women, 20% men.

Chris (PA): Statistically, yes. In the workplace, it’s about the same. “Women will gravitate toward RN and PA jobs and men will tend to gravitate towards medicine.”Flexibility, ability to take time off of work for children.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEWS

Gender stereotypes causing inequality? Colleen (RN): Hear a lot of “Mom was a nurse, sister was a

nurse,” but not much of “Dad was a nurse, uncle was a nurse.” Start breaking down these stereotypes at a young age with children’s literature.

Dealing with gender stereotypes? Sensitivity training is provided by the hospital for both males

and females. Both mentioned that they see this and it can be understandable

due to the nature of the professions they work in. Colleen noted seeing it much more frequently than Chris.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEWS

Is there a need for the opposite sex in your field? Why?

Colleen (RN): Yes. Having a diverse work force allows for better care of patients. Community outreach.High school outreach.Smaller, more diverse Instructor pools.Can’t happen on it’s own.Definitely needs an outside push.

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Out of the 900 million illiterate adults on the planet, 2/3 are women.

Half of the world's food is produced by women, but they only own 1% of the

farmland

Only 15% of the elected legislatures in the world

are female.

Country of Interest: Saudi Arabia

FACTS ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA

Female literacy is estimated to be at 50% and male literacy at 72% (UNDP,2003)

Adult illiteracy for the population 15 to 24 years of age for 2015 is 2.9% for women and 2.7% for men (UNESCO)

HISTORICAL FACTS

Women's schooling at all levels remained under the Department of Religious Guidance until 2002

The education of men was overseen by the Ministry of Education

Share of budget appropriations for women’s education is only 18% of that for men

More than 34% of men teaching at men’s universities hold doctorates compared to only 3% of those who teach at women’s universities and colleges (AlMunajjed, 1997)

The number of women’s institutions has grown from 15 in the 1960s to 155 in the 1970s (Al Mohsen, 2000)

The first university to have a women‘s campus was Riyadh’s King Saud University, opened in 1979 (subject areas: Arabic, English, history and geography)

In the 1980s women’s campuses at King Saud University added colleges for public administration, medicine, dentistry, nursing, education

Progress

AMERICAN PRESENCE

The American presence in Saudi Arabian society began with the production of oil in 1979 and the establishment of ARAMCO (Arabian American Oil Company)

Foreign migrant labor accounted for 43% of total workforce in oil companies in the mid 1970s

CONCERNS

The number of single women is increasing dramatically, the primary reason is the increase in women’s education (they have passed the marriageable age of 30)

(Saudi Ministry of Planning and Human Resources (2003)

Source: Women and education in Saudi Arabia, Challenges and Achievements by Amani HamadanInternational Education Journal, 2005

INTERVIEW Maryam Ahmed Country of origin: Saudi Arabia Currently studying English at LCC Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Arabic

Language at Riyadh’s King Saud University Planning a PhD in Media Arts, University of

Tennessee

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERVIEW

According to Maryam: Women receive the same salary as men Sees a big change in 15 years concerning women

and education Women hold more degrees than men, because of

more serious attitude towards education

King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program

Issued by King Abdullah on 25/5/2005 To prepare and qualify Saudi human

resources to compete on an international level in the labor market and the different areas of scientific research

Become an important source of supply of highly qualified individuals for Saudi universities as well as the government and private sectors.

Rotana Media Group

One of the leading diversified media companies operating in the Middle East. The group’s portfolio comprises music production, film and series production, management services, TV channels, radio stations and publishing.

Targets women as employees

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 16,390 businesses are owned by women and women own 40 % of the nation’s private wealth (according to a recently conducted survey)

Thoraya Obaid a Saudi woman was supported by the government for the election as an executive of the United Nations (Qantara.de, 2003)

Newspapers published in both Arabic and English have a great number of female writers

The government has become aware of the need to improve the education system and increase women’s participation in order to ensure economic survival

CONCLUDIN

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CONCLUSIONS Continue the discussion about breaking down the

paradigmatic assumption in all stages of life

Acknowledge biases

Increase the number of female role models

Become aware of the stereotype threat

Intellectual skills can be acquired and anyone who works hard can succeed

OUR CONCLUSIONS

Awareness is key in continuing the discussion

The discussion needs to happen in all stages of life.

ToddlersSchool-age childrenHigh schoolCollege

Graduate School

In the workplace

After retirement

Part of raising awareness and continuing discussion is identifying why we have biases and assumptions

Stereotype threatAccording to Why So Few?Can be felt psychologically and physiologically resulting in impaired performance

THANK YOU!