Women in engineering in the United States: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Michael93555 (talk | contribs) m Reverted edits by 66.189.98.178 to last revision by Tricia20 (HG) |
Please......actually read the discussion |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{globalize/US|date=April 2009}} |
{{globalize/US|date=April 2009}} |
||
{{Women in society}} |
|||
'''Women in engineering''' fields are under represented because of social factors and have [[history| historically]] faced obstacles due to a lack of [[gender equity]]. In the United States, [[science]] and [[engineering]] have traditionally not been areas in which women are involved at a proportion equal to their general proportion in society. A number of societies, organizations, and programs have been initiated in an attempt to understand why there is a disparity of gender representation in the field of engineering. These organizations often actively encourage a greater representation of women in engineering. As a part of this movement, there is also a current trend toward recognizing both historical and modern-day women in engineering. |
|||
==Statistics - USA== |
==Statistics - USA== |
||
The percentage of female graduate students in engineering in 2001 was 20%.<ref>''[http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cwse/S_E_stats.pdf Data on Women in S&E]'' p. 4, [http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/cwsem/index.htm Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine].</ref> Doctoral degrees awarded to women in engineering increased from 11.6% to 17.6% of total degrees awarded between 1995 and 2004.<ref>[http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf06308/pdf/tab2.pdf Table 2. Doctorates awarded to women, by field of study: 1995–2004] in [http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf06308/ S&E Doctorate Awards: 2004], National Science Foundation.</ref> The workforce remains as the area of highest under representation for women; only 11% of the engineering workforce in 2003 were women.<ref>[http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/pdf/tabh-5.pdf TABLE H-5. Employed scientists and engineers, by occupation, highest degree level, and sex: 2006] in [http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/ Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering] (January 2009), National Science Foundation.</ref> |
|||
==Reasons for under representation== |
|||
A study done in 2004 by the US [[Government Accountability Office]] showed that the four government agencies that are responsible for holding academic institutions accountable to [[Title IX]] have not been guaranteeing compliance.<ref>[http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04639.pdf GENDER ISSUES : Women’s Participation in the Sciences Has Increased, but Agencies Need to Do More to Ensure Compliance with Title IX] (July 2004), GAO.</ref> It found that the improvements in female representation in engineering have lagged behind areas such as the life sciences. A number of possible causes for the gender disparity have been proposed, from different life choices and priorities to discrimination. One recommendation from the report was that discrimination may not be found if agencies simply wait for complaints, so the government agencies should become more proactive in ensuring that academic institutions are providing equal opportunity to women in the areas of science and engineering. |
|||
Other research (by the Economic and Social Research Council) shows that while there have been increases in women choosing engineering as a field of study, they use their degrees to work in fields other than engineering.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070928034852/http://www.esrcsocietytoday.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/PO/releases/2007/january/engineering.aspx?ComponentId=17829&SourcePageId=17831 More women students choose engineering - but not as a career] (23 August, 2007; archived from [http://www.esrcsocietytoday.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/PO/releases/2007/january/engineering.aspx?ComponentId=17829&SourcePageId=17831 the original] on 2007-09-28), ESRC - Economic & Social Research Council.</ref>It has also found that women receive more help than their male counterparts, both in the workplace and in school. This may indicate that the females are perceived by their male counterparts and superiors to be less competent than the males.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} The women were found to naturally adopt coping strategies to help them deal with difficulties arising from gender based discrimination.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} |
|||
Many universities have studies regarding the distribution of women within their institution, and have instituted programs regarding diversity. Targeted research can provide more detailed information about a specific institution. |
|||
On the other side of the discussion regarding women and engineering is the belief that there has been too much of a push to have women in science and engineering. Instead, the outreach programs to K-12 girls should encourage them to choose what they want to study and not try and convince as many as possible to go into science and engineering fields.<ref>Mathieu Bouville, ''Should there be more women in science and engineering?'', DOI:[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11948-007-9038-1 10.1007/s11948-007-9038-1], Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 14, p. 279 (2008), [http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0611089v3 arXiv:physics/0611089v3 [physics.soc-ph].</ref> |
|||
==Support structures for women in engineering== |
|||
There are a vast array of existing support systems for women interested in engineering. Examples of these support systems range from K-12 programs dedicated to encouraging young women to consider engineering as a career path to collegiate programs dedicated to the archiving of women's impact/history in engineering as well as several professional societies dedicated to the advancement of women in engineering. |
|||
===K-12 programs=== |
|||
There are also numerous K-12 programs designed to provide encouragement/resources for young girls interested in science. Examples of this kind of program include the website-driven [http://www.engineergirl.org/ Engineer Girl] program targeted to young girls and teacher/mentor-oriented programs such as [http://www.wepan.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=38 WEPAN]. These programs offer a variety of services, from making information available to young girls interested in science, to opportunities such as essay competitions and classroom activities, as well as anything else that captivates the attention of female engineering students. |
|||
===Professional societies=== |
|||
Most of these professional societies provide women with support, professional development and networking opportunities, and advocate for women. There is a longer list of supporting organizations under the external links section. |
|||
* [[Society of Women Engineers]] |
|||
* [http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/committee/women/index.html [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]]'s women committee] |
|||
* [http://www.geocities.com/robotchicksunion/links.html FIRST and the Robot Chicks Union] |
|||
* [http://www.nae.edu/cwe National Academy of Engineering] |
|||
* [http://www7.nationalacademies.org/wise/ Women in Science and Engineering] |
|||
* [http://www.witi.com/ Women in Technology International] |
|||
==Women engineers== |
==Women engineers== |
||
See the [[:Category:Women engineers]] to see biographies of women engineers on wikipedia. Some of the external links below also contain biographies of women engineers. |
See the [[:Category:Women engineers]] to see biographies of women engineers on wikipedia. Some of the external links below also contain biographies of women engineers. |
||
The Archive of Women in Science and Engineering is trying to record and catalog the work of women engineers.[http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/wise/miss.html Archives of Women in Science and Engineering : Mission Statement]Iowa State university.</ref> |
The Archive of Women in Science and Engineering is trying to record and catalog the work of women engineers.<ref>[http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/wise/miss.html Archives of Women in Science and Engineering : Mission Statement]Iowa State university.</ref> |
||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
| Line 40: | Line 14: | ||
* [[Ecole Polytechnique massacre]] in Montreal, where women were targeted by a mass murderer because they were female engineering students |
* [[Ecole Polytechnique massacre]] in Montreal, where women were targeted by a mass murderer because they were female engineering students |
||
* [[Women in the workforce]] |
* [[Women in the workforce]] |
||
==Further reading== |
|||
* ''[[Beyond Bias and Barriers|Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Promise of Women in Academic Science and Engineering]]''. US National Academies Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering:National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2006. |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
==External links== |
|||
* [http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cwse/ Committee on Women in Science and Engineering] |
|||
* [http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cwse/ViewbyDiscipline.asp?DID=17&Submit1=Select+Discipline List of organizations encouraging women in engineering] |
|||
* [http://www.engineergirl.org Engineer Girl] |
|||
* [http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html 4000 years of Women in Science] |
|||
* [http://www.wepan.org/index.cfm WEPAN (Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network)] |
|||
* [http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cwse/S_E_stats.pdf Statistics regarding Women in Science and Engineering] |
|||
* [http://www.hesa.ac.uk/holisdocs/pubinfo/student/subject0405.htm Statistics for Students in the UK] |
|||
* [http://echo.gmu.edu/wise/ Echo's Women in Science and Engineering project] |
|||
* [http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/links_sci.html Other links about women in engineering] |
|||
[[Category:Women engineers| Women in Engineering]] |
[[Category:Women engineers| Women in Engineering]] |
||
Revision as of 21:01, 27 April 2009
Statistics - USA
The percentage of female graduate students in engineering in 2001 was 20%.[1] Doctoral degrees awarded to women in engineering increased from 11.6% to 17.6% of total degrees awarded between 1995 and 2004.[2] The workforce remains as the area of highest under representation for women; only 11% of the engineering workforce in 2003 were women.[3]
Women engineers
See the Category:Women engineers to see biographies of women engineers on wikipedia. Some of the external links below also contain biographies of women engineers. The Archive of Women in Science and Engineering is trying to record and catalog the work of women engineers.[4]
See also
- Women in science
- Women in Computing
- List of prizes, medals, and awards for women in engineering
- Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, where women were targeted by a mass murderer because they were female engineering students
- Women in the workforce
References
- ^ Data on Women in S&E p. 4, Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
- ^ Table 2. Doctorates awarded to women, by field of study: 1995–2004 in S&E Doctorate Awards: 2004, National Science Foundation.
- ^ TABLE H-5. Employed scientists and engineers, by occupation, highest degree level, and sex: 2006 in Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (January 2009), National Science Foundation.
- ^ Archives of Women in Science and Engineering : Mission StatementIowa State university.