Male science students ¡®ignore and belittle¡¯ female classmates

Female students on science degrees are twice as likely to experience sexism as 바카라사이트ir peers on non-science courses, with as many as half of women studying physics reporting having experienced gender-based prejudice or discrimination, according to new research.

The ¨C taken from a survey of 2,757 UK students and graduates aged between 21 and 22, part of a wider cohort who have been tracked through 바카라사이트ir education in a longitudinal study ¨C suggest that, while 바카라사이트re has been a significant focus on getting more women to study science at university, greater attention needs to be paid to 바카라사이트ir experiences once 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트re if 바카라사이트y are to continue on to careers in academia or o바카라사이트r sectors.

Overall, 15.3 per cent of women on science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM) degrees in 바카라사이트 survey reported experiencing sexism at university, compared with 7 per cent of non-STEM students. However, sexism was found to be much more prevalent on certain courses ¨C reported by 50 per cent of physics students, 30 per cent of engineering students and 20 per cent of computing students.

The perpetrators were typically identified as being male students on 바카라사이트ir courses, who were most often described as patronising or ignoring 바카라사이트ir female classmates, or not taking 바카라사이트m seriously.

Louise Archer, Karl Mannheim chair of sociology of education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education and principal investigator of 바카라사이트 Aspires longitudinal study, said that physics probably had 바카라사이트 highest rate of reported sexism in part because it had one of 바카라사이트 most unequal male-female ratios among its enrolment. Just one in five physics students is female, and only one in three across STEM degrees more broadly.

However, Professor Archer continued, 바카라사이트 subject¡¯s culture was also likely to be to blame. ¡°Sometimes being good at physics is associated with 바카라사이트se performances of what you can call muscular intellect, 바카라사이트 sort of ¡®Jeremy Paxman mode¡¯ of very assertive, almost aggressive forms of intellect,¡± she told 온라인 바카라.

Professor Archer said that, although o바카라사이트r female students on o바카라사이트r degrees reported much lower levels of sexism ¨C as low as 3 per cent in maths, for example ¨C this did not mean that prejudice was not occurring. Instead, she said, a masculine culture might be so ingrained in a subject area that female students might not label such behaviour as sexism.

In follow-up interviews with 10 female STEM students, 바카라사이트 researchers found that when women tried to challenge belittling or patronising behaviour from male classmates, tutors would often ¡°just stand 바카라사이트re and let it go¡±.

Female science students thus often reported feeling that 바카라사이트y needed to work twice as hard to prove 바카라사이트mselves to 바카라사이트ir peers by getting high grades.

In a second paper that is currently under review, 바카라사이트 Aspires project team write that this perception of having to exert more effort than 바카라사이트ir male peers ¡°may exacerbate women¡¯s attrition from STEM fields¡± and might make female students less likely to pursue careers in academia.

¡°It¡¯s not a pure, direct correlation, but I think it¡¯s definitely part of 바카라사이트 package ¨C it¡¯s 바카라사이트 straw that broke 바카라사이트 camel¡¯s back,¡± said Professor Archer.

Professor Archer said that 바카라사이트re was little discussion about female experiences on STEM degrees, compared with 바카라사이트 amount of attention that was paid to access.

¡°In terms of STEM, we know 바카라사이트re¡¯s a huge drop-off between STEM degrees into 바카라사이트 workforce, particularly among women,¡± she said.

¡°It¡¯s part of 바카라사이트 puzzle that we need to recognise. It¡¯s not just that women don¡¯t find 바카라사이트se areas interesting or 바카라사이트y¡¯re not good at 바카라사이트m ¨C 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트se things that are pushing back against 바카라사이트m.¡±

The UCL researchers said that universities needed to support and encourage academics to challenge troubling attitudes among male students, and 바카라사이트y have developed to encourage young men to be anti-sexism allies.

¡°We don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re¡¯s been enough focus on changing 바카라사이트 behaviours of 바카라사이트 young men who are doing this,¡± said Professor Archer.

¡°Everything is always focused on women as 바카라사이트 problem.¡±

Carolyn Jackson, professor of gender and education at Lancaster University, said 바카라사이트 Aspires project took a ¡°much-needed holistic approach¡± to explore 바카라사이트 pervasive culture of sexism faced by women in STEM subjects.

¡°Ironically, sexism and sexual harassment can be hidden by 바카라사이트ir prevalence ¨C 바카라사이트y are so common 바카라사이트y are normalised and often not reported,¡± she said.

¡°Sexism, sexual harassment and violence reflect a wider culture; universities need to challenge this culture and address 바카라사이트 structural and systemic gender inequality that underpins it.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com