STEM's Mommy Problem: Gender, Aspirations, and the Reproduction of Inequality Among First-Year STEM Majors

• In Event: Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM Education

Abstract

This article examines how anticipations of raising a family shape career aspirations of first year students at four-year colleges and universities in the US. Using UCLA’s CIRP Freshman Survey data, we found that the desire to raise a family is a strong predictor for aspiring STEM teachers, and this is more so the case today than even in the 1970s. This study shows that gendered anticipation of parenthood starts relatively early in a person’s career path, and may be central in reproducing patterns of inequality, even prior to actual constraints of family formation have set in. The need for significant institutional and cultural changes and the importance of government policies in supporting women’s careers, are key implications of this study.

Authors

• Seher Ahmad, University of Delaware

• Lauren P. Bailes, University of Delaware