The disparity of women and minorities in the STEM field workforce

STEM is defined as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Its one of the
fastest growing fields all across the world and the demands for people in this field grow
everyday. However, the problem with STEM field courses starts with the people that apply.
There is a discrepancy between majorities and minorities who pursue careers in these fields.
Statistics show that white males take more of these classes than females and minorities and
creates a gap.
I took a STEM-field course in high school and it really gave me a taste of what I wanted
my major to be in college. Initially, I took pharmacy but realized it wasnt what I wanted to do. I
knew I wanted to do something health-care related, so I decided to go for nursing instead. If I
hadnt took it, Id be wasting my life away trying to get into pharmacy school, only to learn in
the future that it wasnt something that I wouldve enjoyed.
The benefits of having STEM-field courses in High School has a more positive impact on
both students and teachers. It also improves the workforce of education, as the benefits of having
these classes outweigh the costs. Exposure to these kinds of careers early on will encourage
students to go on to pursue careers in this field (Griffith). One reason to have these classes is to
close the gap between majorities and minorities, and by exposing these classes to students, even
in little amounts such as providing a broader overview of the field in introductory courses, it
can reel in more participants, specifically more females (Corbett). Representation is important,
especially in societies that consider themselves to be a melting pot of a variety of cultures.
Imagine a little girl who dreams of one day being a doctor, but being discouraged to do so
because society says that its a male-dominant job. If she had someone to look up to, like a
female doctor, her dream of saving a life could become one day a reality. An interesting quote

stood out while I was researching, if she cant see it, she cant be it. Other research shows that
having these classes, particularly in high schools, will increase the chances that someone will go
on to pursue a career in this field. This also encourages students to go on to even higher levels of
education in this field, as the major-changing rates are particularly low for students who have
been exposed to these classes before.
As the world becomes more and more centric on these kinds of fields, people may argue
that society is headed towards a direction that entirely neglects the arts and humanities. However,
technology cannot go without creativity. Humanities provide an array of diversity and multiple
perspectives to solve a complex problem. Even in the most STEM-based schools like MIT
require their students to take at least 25% of their time away from science-related classes to focus
on electives to enhance their creative side. Others may even argue that if a student decides to join
the STEM pipeline late, they may miss opportunities to take these classes and will take a while to
complete them. In Sweden, there exists a program in which a student who has never followed a
natural science course can get back on the STEM track at a later age and much use is made of
this (Langen). An option that they provide is to take an extra preparatory year in which students
will take classes that fill the gaps in which they missed during their academic careers, which
mostly female students make up. This was only in Sweden, as other countries see students have a
more difficult time catching up after making the wrong non-STEM related major choice in
college. But by following their example, America could potentially increase the likelihood of
more students, particularly female, joining the STEM pipeline.
Another argument, a rather misogynistic one, may be that as statistics have shown,
females dont score as well as males on mathematics and science exams. Negative stereotypes
portrayed against females are particularly dangerous as society emphasizes the idea that theyre

lesser than females, and neglect their potential as to how far they can make it in this field.
Recent statistics have actually shown that the rapid increase in the number of girls achieving
very high scores on mathematics test suggests that cultural factors are at work (Corbett), thus,
negating the idea that women cant be as accomplished as men in mathematics. Math is also an
important factor in a students STEM intent, as those with higher math self-efficacy have a
greater likelihood they will choose a STEM field (Xeuli). Its the idea that women cant that
discourages them from doing well in math, but as society shifts away from these harmful
stereotypes, results have shown to be correlated. Its no wonder that these stereotypes persist,
considering the fact that studies have shown again and again that theres a disproportionate
underrepresentation of racial minorities, women, and students of low socioeconomic status
(Xueli).
Students should have the right to obtain an education, which is one of the building blocks
of society, no matter who they are or what they identify as. Its considered a universal
entitlement, as every country in the world should provide education for its citizens. It should not
only be provided, but also be improved on as humanity progresses. Take for example, the quality
of American schools and compare them to schools in Europe. They have a better quality of
education as it is more professional, and cost-effective. The right to an education doesnt mean
the right to a bad education. Utilitarian thinkers would agree that having classes provided in high
schools would not only satisfy the needs for more professionals in this field, it would also benefit
students of all demographics than if these classes were not provided. Would you be offended if
the doctor that saved your life came from a lower-class family? Probably not, because it doesnt
matter in the grand scheme of things, which is why everyone should be given the opportunity to
take STEM courses.

By having equal representation, it gives everyone an accurate perception of the worlds

population, and it gives the confidence boost to people in order to reach their true potential of
what theyre capable of. This is particular in children who are easily influenced by what they see
the world to be true. They should also have the basic human right to have an access to education.
It shouldnt only be given to those that are privileged enough to obtain something that everyone
should be able to have. This also applies to the utilitarian approach, as providing an education for
everyone benefits the most amount of people while harming the least. What kind of society
would we be if we discouraged women and minorities from pursuing their dreams based solely
on their gender or ethnicity? By doing so, we promote harmful stereotypes of these valued
members of society and neglect what this group is truly capable of.

Works Cited
Griffith, Amanda L. "Persistence of women and minorities in STEM field majors: Is it the school
that matters?." Economics of Education Review 29.6 (2010): 911-922.
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775710000750>
Corbett, Christi. Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics. AAUW (2010). < http://www.aauw.org/files/2013/02/Why-So-FewWomen-in-Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathematics.pdf>
Wang, Xueli. Why Students Choose STEM Majors: Motivation, High School
Learning, and

Postsecondary Context of Support. American Educational Research

Journal, Vol. 50, No. 5 (October 2013), pp. 1081-1121
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/23526124>
Langen, Annemarie van, and Hetty Dekkers. "Crossnational differences in participating in
tertiary science, technology, engineering and mathematics education." Comparative
Education 41.3 (2005): 329-350.