Kelli+Current+Event

Link to my article: []

This article explores the gender biases attached to males and females inside of the classroom. While reading this article, I was shocked by the responses of the students. To follow the stereotype that says men are better suited for scientific field is absurd because clearly women have established their presence and authority in the lab as well; and it has been proven that female teachers are just as effective at preparing their students as their male counterparts. If we look back at women in the field, we can easily recognize greats such as Rosalind Franklin (first purposer of the double helix structure for DNA), Marie Curie (a Nobel Prize winner and discoverer of elements such as radium and polonium), and in our own community, Iolani's own Dr. Cheryl Hayashi (who is now our Keables Chair holder). But the results of this study just goes to show how influential and persistent gender stereotypes are. Even though we probably don't think of America as a country that has easily defined gender roles, in some instances (such as this article), it is clear that they are present and posing potential problems. As the article states, these mindsets may push women away from pursuing studies and careers in the scientific field, which would directly go against the ideals behind feminism which strives to promote equality between the sexes.

So, my questions to you are: 1. If you were included in this survey, how might you respond? 2. Where do you think these gender biases are coming from? (In terms of the scientific field) 3. Do you believe that one sex is superior in the science world? Why? 4. How can we move away from such stereotypes?