Understanding current causes of women's underrepresentation in science
Understanding current causes of women's underrepresentation in science
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1014871108
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发表时间：
2011-02-22
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Williams, Wendy M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ceci, Stephen J.;Williams, Wendy M.
对女性在数学密集型科学领域代表性不足的解释往往集中在赠款和手稿审查，面试和招聘方面的性别歧视。声称女科学家在这些领域受到歧视的说法是基于一系列旨在补救的政策和计划的研究。然而，最近和强有力的种族主义未能支持在这些领域的歧视主张。为了更好地了解妇女在数学密集型领域的代表性不足及其原因，我们重申歧视的索赔及其证据基础。基于对过去20年的数据进行回顾，我们认为，其中一些索赔不再有效，如果不加批判地接受妇女缺乏进步的当前原因，可以延迟或阻止理解当代妇女代表性不足的决定因素。我们的结论是，在真实的世界中，不同的性别结果是由于选择，无论是自由的或受约束的资源的差异，这些选择可以通过教育的影响和更好地了解，如果资源是这样定向。因此，在审查，面试和招聘中持续关注性别歧视是昂贵的，错位的努力：社会参与解决过去的问题，而不是解决阻碍妇女参与科学，技术，工程和数学职业的有意义的限制。解决当今代表性不足的原因需要关注教育和政策变革，使机构能够对性别不同的生物现实做出反应。最后，我们建议潜在的干预途径，以增加性别公平，符合当前的，而不是历史的，调查结果雅阁。
Explanations for women's underrepresentation in math-intensive fields of science often focus on sex discrimination in grant and manuscript reviewing, interviewing, and hiring. Claims that women scientists suffer discrimination in these arenas rest on a set of studies undergirding policies and programs aimed at remediation. More recent and robust empiricism, however, fails to support assertions of discrimination in these domains. To better understand women's underrepresentation in math-intensive fields and its causes, we reprise claims of discrimination and their evidentiary bases. Based on a review of the past 20 y of data, we suggest that some of these claims are no longer valid and, if uncritically accepted as current causes of women's lack of progress, can delay or prevent understanding of contemporary determinants of women's underrepresentation. We conclude that differential gendered outcomes in the real world result from differences in resources attributable to choices, whether free or constrained, and that such choices could be influenced and better informed through education if resources were so directed. Thus, the ongoing focus on sex discrimination in reviewing, interviewing, and hiring represents costly, misplaced effort: Society is engaged in the present in solving problems of the past, rather than in addressing meaningful limitations deterring women's participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers today. Addressing today's causes of underrepresentation requires focusing on education and policy changes that will make institutions responsive to differing biological realities of the sexes. Finally, we suggest potential avenues of intervention to increase gender fairness that accord with current, as opposed to historical, findings.