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WGST 350: Gender, Science, and Technology (Rev. C1) Report a Broken Link

Science and technology play dominant roles in contemporary societies, yet women remain underrepresented in almost all subfields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Not only do they enter these areas in far lower numbers than men, but their rates of retention and persistence are much lower at all stages of education and careers—a phenomenon often described as the “leaky pipeline.” 

This course introduces students to a range of theories and empirical research that critically examine the gendered cultures and norms that have shaped science and technology over the past 100 years. The experiences of men and women in STEM educational settings and workplaces are then examined closely. Finally, the course considers some of the steps taken to remove barriers and create opportunities for inclusivity and diversity.

Unit 1—Women in STEM: An Overview

Oldenziel, R. (2001). Man the maker, woman the consumer: The consumption junction revisited. In A. N. H. Creager, L. L. Schiebinger & E. Lunbeck (Eds.), Feminism in twentieth-century science, technology, and medicine (pp. 128–148). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Light, J. (1999). When computers were women. Technology and Culture, 40(3): 455–483.

Unit 2—Gendering Our Analysis

Schiebinger, L. (1987). The history and philosophy of women in science: A review essay. Signs, 12(2): 305–322.
Wajcman, J. (2010). Feminist theories of technology. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 34(1): 143–152.
Vitores, A., & Gil-Juárez, A. (2016). The trouble with “women in computing”: A critical examination of the deployment of research on the gender gap in computer science. Journal of Gender Studies, 25(6): 666–680.
Salter, M. (2017). From geek masculinity to Gamergate: The technological rationality of online abuse. Crime, Media, Culture. Advanced online publication.

Unit 3—STEM Education

Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B., & Wong, B. (2013). “Not girly, not sexy, not glamorous”: Primary school girls’ and parents’ constructions of science aspirations. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 21(1): 171–194.
Smith, K. N., & Gayles, J. G. (2018). “Girl power”: Gendered academic and workplace experiences of college women in engineering. Social Sciences, 7(1).
Foor, C. E., & Walden, S. E. (2009). “Imaginary engineering” or “re-imagined engineering”: Negotiating gendered identities in the borderland of a college of engineering. NWSA Journal, 21(2), 41–64.
Varma, R. (2007). Women in computing: The role of geek culture. Science as Culture, 16(4): 359–376.

Unit 4—The STEM Workplace

Frehill, L. M. (2012). Gender and career outcomes of U.S. engineers. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 4(2): 148–166.
Kmec, J. A. (2013). Why academic STEM mothers feel they have to work harder than others on the job. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 5(2): 80–101.
Teller, A. S., & Porcelli, A. M. (2016). Feminist ecology: Doing, undoing, and redoing gender in science. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 8(3): 383–404.
Kaygan, P. (2014). “The shop floor is not for every woman”: Narratives on women industrial designers’ relationships with shop floor workers. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 6(1): 55–80.
Alfrey, L., & Twine, F. W. (2017). Gender-fluid geek girls: Negotiating inequality regimes in the tech industry. Gender & Society, 31(1): 28–50.
Prescott, J., & Bogg, J. (2011). Segregation in a male-dominated industry: Women working in the computer games industry. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 3(1): 206–227.

Unit 5—Negotiating Change

Baytak, A., & Land, S. M. (2011). Case study: Advancing elementary-school girls’ programming through game design. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 3(1): 243–253.
Kafai, Y. B., & Burke, Q. (2014). Beyond game design for broadening participation: Building new clubhouses of computing for girls. Paper presented at the GenderIT, Siegen, Germany.
Hussenius, A., Andersson, K., & Gullberg, A. (2015). Spotting the science culture: Integrating gender perspectives into science courses. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 7(1): 91–103.
Hughes, R. (2014). The effects of a single-sex STEM living and learning program on female undergraduates’ persistence. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 6(1): 26–54.
Ratzer, B., Weisse, A., Weixelbaumer, B., Mirnig, N., Tscheligi, M., Raneburger, D., Popp, R., & Falb, J. (2014). Bringing gender into technology: A case study in user-interface design and the perspective of gender experts. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 6(1): 3–24.
Fisher, S., & Harvey, A. (2013). Intervention for inclusivity: Gender politics and indie game development. Loading…The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association, 7(11): 25–40.
Dubow, W., & Ashcraft, C. (2016). Male allies: Motivations and barriers for participating in diversity initiatives in the technology workplace. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 8(2): 160–180.