It's been a long time since I've posted... I set this blog up originally to write about my various travels, experiences and adventures in the field, observing the effects and geologic records of tsunamis, particularly my experiences in the Russian Far East. More on that, eventually... and it's not divorced from the topic I do want to discuss.
Lately, those of us who are professional women in field sciences have been reading and posting on challenges and harrassment issues --both our own experiences and those of our students. More on that later, too. But several recent web posts have made me appreciate having a field party on Kamchatka that was led by women. See my blog on that topic.
But THIS post comes from reading an essay by a current senior at MIT about her experiences,
and posted to Facebook by our former University of Washington undergrad student Jen Glass, now a young professor in Georgia -- a rising star and one attuned to issues of gender and science. Thanks, Jen!
The young MIT engineering student (Jennifer) wrote, on 18 September of 2014:
"I am a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a
materials engineer, an honors student, and a woman. I also have been
told hundreds of times that I don't deserve to be where I am. MIT
admissions decisions come out on 3/14 (for Pi) every year. By 8 a.m. on
3/15 everyone in my high school knew I had been accepted. Tons of
people came up to congratulate that day and afterwards but seemed
strangely insistent on reminding me that "it is a lot easier to get in
when you are a girl because they get so many fewer female applicants." The
idea that there was some sort of quota for women would be repeated to
me over and over in the coming months, and it only got worse when I went
to MIT."
Jennifer discussed not only gender, but also treated the topic of persons of color. Kudos to her for writing..
Damn --so many themes I can relate to over my extended career, still alive and kicking. I came of age scientifically/professionally in the 1970s, and in general I have seen some progress (though I have many stories about gender biases) --such as for about 20 years I was the only woman in a department, and today in our faculty meeting there were 7 women present (two more absent) (albeit out of a possible 43 ....).
But the issue of being admitted to an elite program, as Jennifer was, or being hired because you are from an underrepresented group, hit at least two major nerves. The first is, I could tell you many stories over my 30+ years in an R1 (primary research) university, when women who were as, or more, qualified than men were not hired for various unsupportable reasons. Enough to make me crazy, but I have persevered.
The second nerve it hit is the one I want to address, and it's very related to our MIT student's post: My niece is a systems engineer. Her profession is one I could not have imagined for myself, in my era, though some women in that era and even earlier did succeed in engineering, despite the odds (thanks largely to girls-only high schools, I think). So to me, my niece's success is a real testament to progress in WISE. And here, thanks to FIRST high school robotics programs.
This past spring, my niece was laid off. She had left a more secure position (where to this day they would hire her back in less than a heartbeat) to one more innovative and people-oriented. This more risky position didn't hold up, not because of her failings, but because funding in her expertise at that company declined.
I was confident, in the long run, that she'd get another job--one that suited her--BECAUSE MY NIECE IS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD AT WHAT SHE DOES. And/but when having a conversation with a close friend, I heard them say, "She won't have any problem, she's a woman engineer, and engineering companies are looking to hire women" (could also say the same about people of color), it raised my hackles and contradicted my experiences over the past decades. And I am sure the same goes for my niece.
In my experience, a woman has NEVER been hired because of her gender, but in fact, she has to meet, or in reality exceed, the qualifications of any of the many others who apply for a position. I could describe several cases where a woman was actually the most qualified person in a search, and somehow,... somehow they did not get the offer because... let's see, what can I actually put on paper? Not much, but believe me, the reasons were commonly constructed without real foundations. Crazy making, but I have persevered.
So Jennifer's essay hit home on several accounts, not the least being reflections on my niece's career path. I do remain an optimist, but please, do not tell me that women and people of color are more easily hired (and retained) because they are from underrepresented groups. While it might happen, I don't believe that, at least in my own experience in the fields of science and technology, it happens more often than the reverse.
Can you read someone blushing?? lol. I am flattered to be a part of this, and to be spoken of so well. I do believe that I deserve everything I've worked so hard for, but I have personally seen evidence of the "easier because you are a girl". At my first company, in recruiting, we were all going to be given bonuses if we hit our diversity target... the number was 40%... absurd if you looked at the numbers graduating into the fields we were hiring for. I also have worked with a handful of underqualified women, and I have even seen women hired over much more qualified men unfortunately. This does NOT mean that women are underqualified, but I have seen it happen. When I speak to young women, I tell them that I actually believe that I often am able to get my foot in the door easier because I am a woman engineer, and that we should all take whatever advantages come our way. At this point, I believe its more because of my strong resume, but for years, and for my first few jobs, I don't doubt that putting me side by side with equally qualified men, that the companies called me first. Same thing with college. I loved Clarkson, and I know how hard they work to get their students, and I know that I was more than qualified to attend... but I don't doubt that there were plenty of young white men that were overlooked because my resume hit their plate first. I think we have a very very long way to go in gender equality and gender stereotyping, and I honestly don't know what the right answer is. It may be that women are overlooked more often, but I think more and more at least in the engineering world, with diversity goals (and perhaps even people with good intentions), I think women are at least getting their foot in the door at least a tad easier than white males. But then again, I only know what I've seen. To me, while I value diversity, I don't want to see it at the sacrifice of quality of the worker. If two candidates are 100% equal (never happens anyway) take the female or minority. But I personally don't want to work with someone just because of their gender. I do very much believe in promoting and encouraging women to pursue science and technology though. I think the way we raise our daughters, and the way society attempts to gear girls and boys differently, needs a LOT of work. And personally I feel that is where we should focus our attention and efforts... and the workforce will follow.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim, for your perspectives and experiences. I think we would agree that no one from an underrepresented group wants to be hired because of a quota, and your testimony indicates that quotas are not a good idea. Everyone wants to hire the best person; but how "best" is determined can be quite subjective. We hire so few people in academia, compared to the private sector (and the government too) that the process is quite different -- as is the outcome, because after our trial period, we have a level of job security that doesn't exist in the private sector (government civil service does offer more security). Perhaps at the entry level, though, quotas have a purpose. Happy to continue the conversation!
ReplyDelete