Women in Science: Interests, Culture, and Covert Discrimination

Scholars argue that different factors are responsible for the lack of women in STEM disciplines. One explanation put forth to understand the lack of women in STEM fields is an approach that focuses on the interests and aspirations of individuals. Other analyses focus on covert and institutional discrimination, arguing that the institutions of science systematically disadvantage women. This essay argues that while interest and motivation are extremely important, institutional changes are necessary for a shift in the gendered power dynamics found in the sciences.