1 - 5 of 5 articles
category "Gender"

The Force is Too Strong with This One? Sexism, Star Wars, and Female Heroes

The Force is Too Strong with This One? Sexism, Star Wars, and Female Heroes

The newest installment of the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi , was released last month. Despite critical success, the film has been met with a polarized audience reaction online. Although likely not the primary reason for polarization, some of the negative reaction can be attributed to the perceived progressive, feminist political message of the main characters [1] : The primary protagonist, Rey, is a woman; the two most prominent White men, Kylo Ren and General Hux, are villains. Behind... / more

Why gender neutral toy aisles might help children’s development stay on target

Why gender neutral toy aisles might help children’s development stay on target

In this blog post I will discuss how Target’s recent decision to do away with gender specific toy aisles could actually help children develop new cognitive skills, and as well as increase their willingness to play with different types of toys. / more

Gender equity in science: Achievement unlocked?

Gender equity in science: Achievement unlocked?

Is it time to throw out our gender -equity-in-STEM training materials? Williams and Ceci (2015) reported that STEM faculty members have a preference for hiring women (not men), reigniting debates over equity in academic hiring. In our blog post, we add to a growing conversation among the scientific community that questions Williams & Ceci’s grand claim of a post-sexist era in academic hiring. / more

Girls will be girls, boys will be bossy

Girls will be girls, boys will be bossy

The word bossy has been heavily discussed recently, thanks, at least in part, to the Ban Bossy campaign. To date, this debate has centered on why women get called bossy. But what about men? In this blog post, I will share some new research on the word bossy, and what happens when both men and women act bossy, specifically within a workplace context. / more

Marrying smart or marrying instead of being smart? The goal conflict between MRS degrees and STEM degrees

Marrying smart or marrying instead of being smart? The goal conflict between MRS degrees and STEM degrees

In this blog post, I review a number of studies that suggest that telling women to focus on their MRS degree (aka getting married) while in college can make women less interested in earning a STEM degree (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). Why does this matter? Because the STEM fields are in desperate need of women. Luckily, research also suggests that women in STEM are more desirable than women may realize. / more