Emily Martin's ("Signs J Women Cult Soc" 16(31):485-501, 1991) article, "The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles," was published in "Signs" over 20 years ago. In this groundbreaking article, she discusses how gender roles are often projected onto…

Examines social influences which discourage women from pursuing studies in computer science, including monopoly of computer time by boys at the high school level, sexual harassment in college, movies, and computer games. Describes some initial efforts to encourage females of all ages to study computer science. (JM)

Although women comprise the majority of the population, fewer than 9 percent are employed as scientists and engineers. Research indicates that girls have poorer attitudes toward science, enroll less often in science courses, demonstrate lower achievement levels in science, and have fewer experiences with science materials or instruments. Among the…

A sample of 180 students was given the Personal Attributes Questionnaire. Nonscience females were more often classified as feminine, while more females in science were classified as androgenous. No difference was found in the number of biological and physical science majors classified as feminine. (MNS)

Factors pertinent to females in American science and mathematics-related disciplines are examined, focusing on explanations for the poorer representation of females, their lower rank, and their seemingly poorer productivity once within the professions. Using a multidisciplinary approach, some of the usual explanations for their poorer showing are…

Explores issues that encourage or discourage women from pursuing studies in science--matters that may affect confidence in themselves and in science as a possible career. Focuses on how young women approached career decisions, discerned from over 100 hours of interviews with 40 female college science students. Concludes that mixed societal…

The purposes of the present study were to develop and evaluate a measure of self-efficacy expectations with regard to the performance of mathematics-related behaviors and to investigate the relationship of mathematics self-efficacy expectations to the selection of science-based college majors. Based on results obtained from a pilot sample of 115…