A new study reveals a subtle gender bias that can have serious consequence for women pursuing a career in the sciences. Yale University conducted a double blind study of 127 professors of biology, chemistry, or physics from six renowned universities. They were asked to evaluate a resume that was exactly the same expect for one small difference. Half of the participants were given a resume with name John, and the other with the name Jenifer.
The experiment found that “despite efforts to recruit and retain more women, a stark gender disparity persists within academic science.”
Participants were asked to rate the applicant’s competency on a scale from 1-7. John was given an average score of 4, yet Jennifer, who had the exact same resume, a 3.3. Most startlingly, John was offered an average starting salary of thirty thousand three hundred and twenty-eight dollars, but Jenifer was only offered twenty-six thousand five hundred and eight dollars. The bias was exhibited by both male and female professors with varying age and tenure status.
“Prejudice of any kind is wrong and so it is unfortunate and extremely disturbing to learn that biases against female science students exist among science professors,” said the biology and health department’s Dr. Joshua Schwartz. “Such attitudes can negatively impact education, intellectual growth, career paths and salaries. Accordingly, we need to inform the academic and professional community of the persistence, insidious nature and unacceptability of gender biases so that women in science will receive the same treatment as men.”
Director of Biology and Health Services, Ms. Laura Cimini had her doubts about the study’s legitimacy, pointing “out that of the five [authors], three of them are women.”
However, she did agree that there is a disparity between men and women in the traditional science fields.
“Science, technology, engineering, and medicine, in those arenas, I think that might be the last place you will see growth of a female population. But if you do look at the other disciplines…. women dominate,” said Cimini. “It is not just nursing. You have nurse practitioners, occupational therapist, speech pathologists, social workers, physical therapists…[the sciences] might be the last place you don’t see women as highly populated…”
So the question is why? Women make up half of today’s work force, so what is it about the sciences that causes women to either turn away, or, as the study suggests, be turned away from it?
“I think what they are saying in the article is that there is this subconscious cultural influences, that men traditionally do better in the sciences. But if we look at how we cultivate all students, male and female, around sixth grade you begin to really push in the sciences and math. Traditionally, again, females and males are going to perform about the same, it’s just with females, developmentally, there is a physical difference. I think they get a little more concerned with friends, what they look like, and what’s cool and what’s not. It is not that they can’t do science, I think there might be, again this is cultural, there might be something that steers them away sticking with science and math.”
Pace has long fostered an environment that encourages young women interested in the sciences to pursue it as a career.
“At Pace, we are extremely fortunate to have many outstanding women serve in the faculty and administration,” said Dr. Schwartz. “It would have been a profound loss for our university and their fields of study if bias suffered in the past had deterred any of them from joining our academic community. Women must not be discouraged from pursuing scientific careers. Until discrimination ends, women must persevere and their achievements will be evidence of their value and an inspiration to others.”
“The faculty here as mentors take really the full person, and it doesn’t matter. It’s the person who is ambitious enough to say, I want to do research with you,” said Cimini. “I would have to say here it would be who is the best student, but the students here are by name and not number. In my department, the opportunity is equal.”