Encourage Girls to Tinker!
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 8:04AM 4 Comments By Michele Yulo
There is no shortage of opinion and research as to why there is such a wide gap with respect to women in the field of science. With the ongoing push for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) from the government down, there is an ever-growing need for the United States to produce students who will 
PFZ girl with her toolsforay into these industries post-graduation. The concern, of course, is that we have fallen behind the rest of the world and are becoming less competetive in these areas. It seems logical that, in order to expand our expertise in STEM, we must encourage girls to become and remain interested in these subjects early on.
An article from Education Week by Lisa Damour (co-director of the Center for Research on Girls at Laurel School in OH) from 2009 caught my eye just as I was beginning to develop Princess Free Zone and my super hero character, Super Tool Lula. It's entitled "Teaching Girls to Tinker," and offers several explanations as to why it is common for boys to "tinker," learning to fix things and problem-solve, while girls usually don't. She points to a report from the American Association of University of Women, for instance, that concluded "boys see computers as toys interesting in their own right, while girls see them as tools for accomplishing tasks." This translates into boys taking a more curious view of computers enabling them to learn about what makes them work, versus girls who view them as more of a means to an end. Furthermore, the article points to some other potential reasons, such as lack of female role models, that fact that girls typically choose "helping" sciences, or that girls view technology and engineering as stereotypically unattractive careers. The conclusion: "girls don't tinker."
Damour believes one of the main problems that lead to girls not tinkering is that they lack the encouragement from adults at an early age. Research shows that adults rush in to help girls who are faced with a "tinkering" situation versus boys who are usually allowed to have more time. Psychologically, this says to girls, "Don't worry, you don't need to learn how to fix something. I can do it for you."
A couple of other more recent articles offer different rationales as to possible reasons that women often don't pursue these subjects or, once they do, often times they don't remain in the field. "Attracting Women to Stem," from Inside Higher Ed (March 2010), discusses the conundrum that even while women make up the majority of undergraduates overall, the number was "substantially smaller for women than for men in physics, engineering and computer science." According to the piece, there are "eight major factors that helped depress the numbers of girls and women in STEM: beliefs about intelligence, stereotypes, self-assessment, spatial skills, the college student experience, university and college faculty, implicit bias, and workplace bias." The article does provide some examples of colleges and universities that are overcoming some of these obstacles by placing greater emphasis on recruitment of females in STEM, as well as creating a more attractive environment that meets their specific issues.
I found this an interesting perspective: "Are Women Choosing Romance Over Careers in Science and Tech" from Jezebel Magazine online, poses the question of whether there is a conflict presented to women early in life that presents them with a choice of romance or a STEM career as if they can't have both: "Research published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that when women concentrate on romantic goals, whether due to environment or personal choice, they demonstrate less interest in STEM and more interest in fields traditionally thought of as feminine, like arts, languages, and English. Yet, the same is not true for men." Is this because women just tend to be more focused on finding a husband and are more prone to romantic notions? Or is it because gender stereotypes incorporated into language and behavior are skewed to deter women from STEM in general? Margaret Hartmann, the author of the piece, says, "[t]here are other barriers to women entering STEM fields, but society valuing girls more for being attractive rather than intelligent (and acting like the two are mutually exclusive) clearly isn't helping."
So, in light of all of this, what are we to do? I offer some ways to encourage girls at a young age to begin believing they can succeed in STEM. After all, there's no research that says they can't.
- Allow them the space and time to tinker
- Actually show them how to fix something that breaks
- Introduce them to tools at an early age and get them a tool belt
- Include in their birthday and holiday gifts a microscope, telescope, or building games
- Find books to read that have non-stereotypical female characters
- Let them explore nature and GET DIRTY
- Find after school activities through local organizations like GirlStart and Hardy Girls Healthy Women that offer STEM programs geared toward girls or Camp Invention that is available through most schools
- Be aware of the issues girls face regarding STEM and stay up-to-date on the research
Michele
Another timely article that just came out "Women sparse in math, science fields" from the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel:
"According to the Department of Commerce report, there is good reason for women to consider a STEM occupation. Women in these fields earn 33% more money than their non-STEM counterparts and command $11.85 more in average hourly earnings, the report stated."
Reader Comments (4)
Every one should have a tool box!
I was "tinker" girl who took everything apart (I watched my engineer mom do it) and spent as much time outside as possible. Those carefree days lead me to a masters degree in structural geology (mountain-building deformation) and I am lucky enough to be a temporary SAHM. I am the one who teaches my kids to troubleshoot and repair everything at home, and love to talk about any scientific topic I can with them. I also happen to volunteer with Girlstart and love seeing other girls like myself - interested in science! I know that we CAN influence our children through our actions. Thanks for writing this post.
Great post! Wow, I just realized I was one of those women who opted out of a STEM career in favor of family! I went to UVA as part of a special science program, with an intended double major in astronomy and physics. After spending lots of nights in the observatory while my friends went to parties, I started thinking down the road to what it would be like to have this kind of career and also be a mother, which was very important to me too. I wanted to be a mother who spent a lot of time with her kids, and took several years off of work to be at home. I assumed this could never work out, and changed my major. I don't regret it...but...looks like I am one of the people you're talking about in this post!
Nice post!