Can I Work with and Help Others in This Field? How Communal Goals Influence Interest and Participation in STEM Fields
| Autor: | Mary C. Murphy, Amanda B. Diekman, Kathryn L. Boucher, Melissa A. Fuesting |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
media_common.quotation_subject
lcsh:BF1-990 050109 social psychology Review 5. Gender equality Perception Underrepresented Minority gender Psychology 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences 10. No inequality General Psychology media_common Opting out business.industry 4. Education 05 social sciences 050301 education communal goals Public relations STEM First generation lcsh:Psychology communal goal incongruity underrepresentation Literature study business 0503 education Social psychology |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol 8 (2017) Frontiers in Psychology |
| ISSN: | 1664-1078 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00901 |
| Popis: | Although science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines as a whole have made advances in gender parity and greater inclusion for women, these increases have been smaller or nonexistent in computing and engineering compared to other fields. In this focused review, we discuss how stereotypic perceptions of computing and engineering influence who enters, stays, and excels in these fields. We focus on communal goal incongruity--the idea that some STEM disciplines like engineering and computing are perceived as less aligned with people’s communal goals of collaboration and helping others. In Part 1, we review the empirical literature that demonstrates how perceptions that these disciplines are incongruent with communal goals can especially deter women and girls, who highly endorse communal goals. In Part 2, we extend this perspective by reviewing accumulating evidence that perceived communal goal incongruity can deter any individual who values communal goals. Communal opportunities within computing and engineering have the potential to benefit first generation college students, underrepresented minority students, and communally-oriented men (as well as communally-oriented women). We describe the implications of this body of literature: describing how opting out of STEM in order to pursue fields perceived to encourage the pursuit of communal goals leave the stereotypic (mis)perceptions of computing and engineering unchanged and exacerbate female underrepresentation. In Part 3, we close with recommendations for how communal opportunities in computing and engineering can be highlighted to increase interest and motivation. By better integrating and publically acknowledging communal opportunities, the stereotypic perceptions of these fields could gradually change, making computing and engineering more inclusive and welcoming to all. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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