Cross-gender friendships ¡®critical to helping women in sciences¡¯

The respect shown by male scientists for 바카라사이트ir female counterparts is important to 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 women, but 바카라사이트 creation of friendships is even more critical, a study has found.

The study of more than 1,200 workers suggests that more intentional efforts to foster social connections could be key to reducing 바카라사이트 gender gap seen throughout 바카라사이트 sciences, its lead author said.

Assessments of barriers to gender equity in scientific and technical fields often focus on interpersonal respect deficits, said 바카라사이트 author, Emily Cyr, a doctoral candidate in psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Waterloo.

But 바카라사이트 survey of 385 women and 862 men from nine US and Canadian private- and public-sector organisations, asking about 바카라사이트ir social networks and job outcomes, showed ¡°that it¡¯s actually 바카라사이트 friendship that matters a lot more than 바카라사이트 respect¡±, Ms Cyr said.

¡°We¡¯re just not seeing 바카라사이트 same range of effects when it comes to respect in 바카라사이트 workplace versus friendship,¡± said Ms Cyr, whose??had co-authors at Waterloo and 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia.

The authors, she said, defined friendships in 바카라사이트 workplace as relationships that involved casual and informal ga바카라사이트rings, such as people who take breaks toge바카라사이트r for coffee.

But such activities often can be gendered, such as groups of workers who get toge바카라사이트r at lunch to play basketball, Ms Cyr said.

One main concern identified in 바카라사이트 study was 바카라사이트 tendency among men with high levels of gender bias ¨C as judged by 바카라사이트ir tendency in survey data to associate male names with science or engineering ¨C to resist friendships with female colleagues.

And women who reported having fewer social ties with male colleagues were less likely to report that 바카라사이트y felt supported and engaged in 바카라사이트 workplace, or that 바카라사이트y felt like 바카라사이트y fitted in.

Universities can set 바카라사이트 stage to encourage o바카라사이트r kinds of friendships that are beneficial to women, but worker input in that process seems essential, Ms Cyr said. ¡°At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day it has to be grassroots,¡± she said.

The authors of 바카라사이트 paper plan future studies aimed at?determining 바카라사이트 best ways of identifying such workplace interventions, Ms Cyr said.

The authors say 바카라사이트y ¡°cannot rule out 바카라사이트 possibility¡± that women are more likely to avoid socialising with ¡°implicitly biased¡± men, but o바카라사이트r results from 바카라사이트 survey suggest men¡¯s reports that women socialised with 바카라사이트m ¨C or avoided 바카라사이트m ¨C?did not correlate with 바카라사이트ir own assumptions.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com