Economics of Race and Gender: Women in Engineering - Dissertation Example

 Economics of Race and Gender: Women in Engineering INTRODUCTION Ever since the history of humankind began, gender based discrimination has been a prevailing issue. This phenomenon can be traced way back to the popularly accepted origin of the universe. That Adam, the man, was created first and that Eve, the woman, was only created for the man not to be alone (Christ 1). The story further described the role of men as the provider and women as someone to support men. It seems that even from the beginning of time, the stories tend to favor men and tend to limit the potential of women. Since then, laws in the society seem to be advantageous to men and unfair to women. Also, it led to women being considered extremely inferior in the society during the early times. Today, though there are certain places that still treat women inferior, laws in most countries appear to be more kind to women in such a way that the rules of the government are reasonable to both men and women. Different groups of women activists fight for gender equality in all aspects of life. These groups ask that women be given the rights that men also get from the government. In this way, women get fair treatment from the society as much as men get. While their advocacies for equal rights from the government look successful, they are still unable to completely change the perception of people toward women. Gender bias is still evident in many areas of the society today. One manifestation of gender based discrimination is the fact that men still dominate most industries around the world. This is evident especially in the field of Engineering because of the very few women in this industry. It then gives way to the question whether the economic value of women does equate the economic value of men. Thus, the topic on the economics of gender is best discussed through the women in Engineering. BODY In 2009, only 20% of all the engineering undergraduate students are female according to the National Science Foundation (“Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science & Engineering”). Furthermore, out of around 1.5 million Engineers, only 13% are women (“Women”). These statistics clearly show that men comprise most of the people in Engineering and that women in Engineering are underrepresented. Understanding this gender disparity is the first step in discussing the economics of women in Engineering. GENDER DISPARITY IN ENGINEERING One of the reasons that the minority of women in Engineering enroll in this field is their love for math and science. Appreciation for these two subjects is essential in entering Engineering courses for the reason that math and science are the foundation in studying Engineering. In the past, there is a 13:1 boy to girl ratio who scored above 700 in SAT math exam at the age of 13 (Hill, Corbett, and St. Rose, Andresse 14). Although this ratio has drastically reduced over time, girls still lack interest and courage in pursuing math courses. Perhaps, stereotyping that boys are better than girls in mathematics has resulted girls to have low self-assessment in their abilities in this subject despite of high grades (Hill et al. 15). This also leads them to think that engineering courses are for men and that it will be difficult for them to enter this field. Research also shows than men continue to do better in spatial skills than women (Hill et al. 15). This innate ability also helps men to be more equipped in dealing with Engineering subjects. But there are times when women perform well as much as men do in spatial skills when this ability is nurtured. Lastly, engineering is considered as a field that requires masculinity which in itself discriminates the capability of women. This creates an unfair environment to women which in turn makes engineering an uncomfortable area for them to be in. People judge women to be less competent than men in this area. On the other hand, women become unlikable when they excel in this job because they get tagged as masculine when they perform well. In either case, women do not get the proper recognition they deserve. As a result, they see Engineering as a field where they will always get the smaller share of the purse. Once again, the problem can be rooted from unconscious stereotyping from the people of the environment. The reasons discussed show that gender disparity in the field of Engineering is a result of how people perceive men and women. The fact that men and women have biologically driven differences in abilities and interest, the two sexes will always perform differently. By that, people will always perceive the two genders differently especially in the field of engineering where specific mental skills are needed. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING ACADEME Despite the disadvantages presented, there are still number of women who choose engineering. These are the people who believe that Engineering is not only for men but for all genders who aspire to fulfill their dreams in this field. These women usually have strong personalities that they prefer to get into an area where there is a high probability of them being discriminated. Some of these students are motivated by their love for math and science. There are actually who prefer numbers over other subjects like social sciences. While other women see engineering courses as a mix of different subjects. For instance, they see Industrial Engineering as a mix of engineering and business. In this case, the interest for business motivates women to take up Industrial Engineering as an integrated business course. ­However, being in the minority is no easy task for these women. There are times when they are being discriminated in a way that their competence in accomplishing the job is being judged. Coming from the assumption that engineering is for men and that women cannot compete with men in this area of study, instances like this result in the discouragement of the student. This is just one hurdle that women battle in the academy of engineering. It is hard for women as they struggle both from the difficulty of the subjects in the University and from the discrimination they receive from fellow students. On the other end, being in the minority does not only offer difficulties but also opens doors for opportunity. Since only few women are present in a class, the professor tends to remember the names of these women easier. Professors recognize most women even outside the classroom. There are also scholarships exclusive offered to women in the university. Student women organizations give scholarships to women as part of their program to help and support women in the engineering. The women have less competition in obtaining the scholarship because there are very few of them in the campus. Another advantage is that some male professors seem to be more lenient to female students than male. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROFESSION Not all of the women undergraduate students finish the engineering course, a significant portion of them fails to withstand the obstacles and quit engineering. Consequently, a much smaller number of women in the field become professionals or engineers. The minority of women in the engineering profession is another issue in terms of the problems associated with it or its gender economics. Since the women engineers comprise a very small percentage in the engineering profession, there are also various disadvantages incorporated with it. Men occupy most of the highest positions in an engineering industry because of the same belief in the engineering academe that engineering is a “male job”. Likewise, many believe that engineering profession is a job for men and that key engineering positions should be handled by men. Though there are times when women engineers hold key positions in the company, stereotyping about their capabilities is still evident. Women usually receive lower compensation than men holding the same position. Today, female managers earn only 73% of what male managers earn (Coontz 1). Women get lower appraisal in holding managerial positions. According to a 2010 Catalyst survey, female M.B.A.’s have an average starting salary of $4,600 less than male M.B.A.’s and a much lower salary growth throughout their career (Coontz 1). For professional women with child, companies offer them a much lower starting salary of $11,000 less (Coontz 1). It is partly because women are most likely to quit job when both working parents cannot afford to work at the same time anymore to be able to take care of the children and the household. Likewise, companies do not often give promotions to women with kids. Companies invest more on single women that have no other priority or family responsibility. The economics of gender is very evident in this scenario where there is unequal worth of men and women in the workplace. It shows that the companies still come up short in providing adequate policy to protect the rights of women in the workplace. A policy that will also lead to equal job opportunity for both men and women is indeed needed. As Sophia Huyer, executive director of Women in Global Science and Technology’s (WIGSAT) quoted, “that countries are not ‘taking full advantage of women in the knowledge sector’ ” (“Women 'under-represented' in emerging nations' S&T”). Probably, providing a policy that will give women a fair deal in the workplace could not only give them equal rights but could possibly offer the country a way to improve its economic state. Countries which have policies and regulations that promote women employment in science and technology also have good economic condition. Brazil, which has a very good economic condition, ranks highest for providing policies and employment to women in science, engineering and technology(“under-represented”). WOMEN IN ENGINEERING GROUPS Because of the gender disparity in engineering and the problems associated with women in engineering. Many groups were formed and have continued to grow to protect the interest of women in engineering. There are various efforts initiated to help and promote women to enter the field of engineering. Many organizations, both inside and outside the university, were created to support and protect the rights of women in Engineering. Organizations inside the university are basically created to provide engineering women students an environment that supports them through their studies. On the other hand, organizations outside the university are created to assist engineering professionals by promoting gender equality in the workplace. One particular organization for professional women in Engineering is IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE). It is considered as the largest international professional organization for women Engineers (“IEEE Women in Engineering”). The organization gives programs and activities that promote women in engineering. They offer scholarships as a means of recruitment for women to enroll in engineering undergraduate programs. This gives extra motivation to aspiring women who want to enter the field of engineering. Other example of organization outside the university is the Women’s Engineering Society. It is one of the oldest; a non-profit professional organization that gives inspiration, support and professional development to professional women engineers (“The Women’s Engineering Society - inspiring women as engineers, scientists and leaders”). For student organizations, many women organizations inside universities are created in engineering academes. In the University of Illinois alone, numerous organizations are in existence such as the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE), Women in Engineering (WEI), Alpha Omega Epsilon Engineering Sorority (“Engineering at Illinois”). All of which are focused on promoting camaraderie, academic excellence and to provide the women of engineering an environment conducive to learning. Other universities create programs instead of organizations which focus solely on the welfare of women enrolled in their engineering courses. For example, the Women in Engineering (WIE) program of the University of Illinois was created to give a welcoming and supportive environment for women students in the College of Engineering (“Illinois”). This program includes student recruiting, workshops and seminars, undergraduate advising, new student orientation or fellowship and a residential camp for high school girls (“Illinois”). These organizations are created by the very same women of Engineering that have experienced the gender disparity in this field. These people realized the need to organize and represent the minority of women in engineering. This is to ensure that the interest of women in engineering is well represented and that gender discrimination is dealt accordingly. These movements from groups of women in engineering result in an increase in the number of women in Engineering. More and more women are encouraged to pursue their fate in the field of Engineering. But still these movements have a long way to go because despite the increase in the number of women in engineering, the figure is still small. EDGE OF WOMEN IN THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION Many disadvantages were already mentioned about the disparity of gender in engineering both in the university and in professional practice. What many people disregard is the fact that there are actually a number of advantages for women in engineering. Some of women characteristics seem to be valuable in the field of engineering. Some companies prefer women in certain key positions where hired Engineers need to represent the organization and need to deal with various clients. Engineers must only understand the technical aspects of projects but also must be able to explain these to clients. In short, engineers need to talk to people which women are more preferred to do it. Women are generally more approachable, patient and polite which are key features that clients find more appealing to deal with. Women are also known to be meticulous that makes company prefer them over men. It is a crucial part in accomplishing tasks in office and field works. It is to say that women check and take heed the every detail of a project that determines the success of the project. ECONOMICS OF GENDER One of the most important industries in a country deals with engineering. It is one of the most in demand professions around the globe that is used to extract or use resources of the country. The economy of engineering also determines the standard in living of the country. It has been manifested on the first international engineering report that the shortage of engineers in developing countries is hindering its development (“Lack of engineers stifling development”). With the increase of women in the workforce of engineering, the shortage of engineers of a country will not be a problem. Independent women organizations providing programs to increase the number of women in engineering are doing half the battle. Government programs are needed to supplement or to supply the bigger part in increasing the number of women in engineering. It was evident that the disparity in gender in the workforce of engineering has a direct effect on the economics of a country. The number of engineering women organizations grows in its pursuit to gain equal rights and protection for women in engineering both in the university and in the workplace. This has been a long-time pursuit for women to have equal rights in job employment, especially in engineering. Perhaps, this problem can be turned into an opportunity to improve the economic condition of countries in general. CONCLUSION The economics of gender as illustrated using the women in engineering is a reality. It is an undeniable fact that women today do not receive equal economic worth relative to men’s value. Gender based discrimination is assigned by the society which cannot be easily changed by any means of government regulations or law reforms. The fact that there is a rapid growth in the number of women organizations all over the world, women now receive relatively more reasonable rights from the government. But the law reforms that give women equal rights cannot completely impact the perception of the society towards them. Few countries continue to oppress the rights of women and to allow unequal treatment of women in their area of responsibility. Women are treated unfairly and considered as inferior human beings in these countries which can be explained by the history of humanity. For countries that allow equal rights for men and women, women tend to perform well and compete with men in different fields. Some of them hold key positions in the government, industries, and areas where men used to dominate. It is true that many have changed regarding the perception of the society toward women, but the shadow of the past cannot be completely vanished. The society still appears to limit the potential of women in different fields as they still consider the physical characteristics of women. People tend to associate their physical well-being to their mental, emotional and over-all capabilities as part of the workforce in industries, especially in engineering. People still regard women as incapable of doing what they consider as “male job”. People still believe that engineering requires masculinity and men are the most appropriate to be in this job. Therefore, the gender disparity on the topic of women in engineering is still evident up to this day. A much deeper program is required to change this limitation for women, a program that will directly penetrate the mind and heart of the people in the society. This program might never exist but the dream of women to finally get an equal treatment in the area of engineering, business, and economics among others will forever be in existence in their hearts. Works Cited Amott, Teresa, and Mattaei, Julia. “Race, Gender and Work: A Multi-Cultural Economic History of Women in the United States”. USA, 1996 Print. Christ, Jesus. The Holy Bible: King James Version. Hendrickson Publisher Inc., 2011. Print. Coontz, Stephanie. “The Myth of Male Decline” New York Times, 30 September 2012. p. 1. Daly, John. “Engineering is as vital as R&D for development”. SciDev.Net 15 July 2005. Web. 14 November 2012. Hill, Catherine, Corbett, Christianne, and St. Rose, Andresse. “Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”. Washington, DC:AAUW, 2010. Print. IEEE. “IEEE Women in Engineering”. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. (n.d.). Web. 14 November 2012. National Science Foundation. “Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science & Engineering”. 2009. Web. 14 November 2012. Ottery, Christine. “Lack of engineers stifling development”. SciDev.Net 4 October 2012. Web. 14 November 2012. Park, Paula. “Women 'under-represented' in emerging nations' S&T”. SciDev.Net 23 October 2012. Web. 14 November 2012. University of Illinois. “Engineering at Illinois”. University of Illinois, College of Engineering. (n.d.). Web. 14 November 2012. Women’s Engineering Society. “The Women’s Engineering Society - inspiring women as engineers, scientists and leaders”. Women’s Engineering Society Website. (n.d.). Web. 14 November 2012. Read More