Women and Minorities in Engineering

Let me start off by saying this: I am a white male, and, though I am bisexual, I have never experienced racism. I have never been a visible minority anywhere I have studied or worked. As such, I cannot know first-hand how any minorities have struggled, but I do what I can to temper the privilege I was born with. I want to live in a world where people are not judged based on their looks, race, gender, sex, or sexual orientation, and I want to actively contribute to the formation of this world. That being said, while we’re still working on that, what follows is some information everyone should be aware of, minorities in particular.

Social psychological research has taken an interest in issues related to women’s and minorities’ experiences in fields in which they are under-represented or negatively stereotyped. First, what does it mean to be under-represented? In 1971, 68% of 25- to 29-year-old university graduates were male. By 1991, 51% were female. And now, women account for more than 60% of graduates[1]. Take the University of Waterloo, for example, 45% of the student population is female, but only 27% of first year engineering students are female, and women make up a mere 16% of the undergrad degrees awarded[2]. When you consider that women make up approximately half of the world population, 16% is an unacceptable statistic. Unfortunately, the statistics for other visible minorities is much harder to find, and it won’t show as clear a difference because there are many reasons for which minorities will not even make it to university. For all that being a minority is, i.e. a slight circumstance of birth, it really makes a huge difference in a person’s life, and that’s not right.

There is factual evidence that  women are largely under-represented in engineering, but the argument for women being negatively stereotyped can take a bit more looking, and just a few questions. When was the last time you saw a gaming computer, or a tool or car either marketed to women or marketed in a way that did not objectify women? Why do people say men are better at math, or that women are better in the kitchen, at art, not good at driving? You may find that there is no real reason, other than that women were told these things when they were younger, and, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, this myth of the less capable woman, or the less capable minority perpetuates itself through generations. This also results in prejudices and difficulties in various industries, especially in labour-heavy work.

‘But Michael,’ you say, ‘what if it does have a factual basis? What if women are just different from men, and minorities are just good at different things?’ I’m glad you asked. There are a few possible explanations for the discrepancies mentioned above: innate differences in the way men and women process data and where their interests lie, women and minorities aren’t motivated to join STEM fields, and situational reasons – a combination of socioeconomic factors, the media, aspects of testing, and parents or teachers who are/ aren’t supportive.

For myself, I’m inclined to believe that the difference is massively situational, and much less in innate differences. You find people in all groups who are not good at math, or who simply don’t like science, and that’s okay. What is not okay is when almost two decades of conditioning by the media and negative stereotyping force women to make the decision that they wouldn’t be welcomed or be able to pass courses in engineering when the opposite could be true. Consider the following: a University of Toronto study concluded that men and women, when trained, display about even performance in spatial cognition testing. The training? Action video games[3]. Do you think it’s at all coincidental that video games are marketed to men, who then perform better in spatial testing? If women can improve so drastically that they are equal to men after a mere 10 hours of playing video games, what does that say about this so-called “innate difference”. Particularly, it indicates that innate differences may not be so innate, but could be demonstrable consequences of raising children so differently

Social psychologists have also defined “Stereotype Threat” – the fear that by your actions, you will confirm a negative stereotype against your group. As a result, you become more aware of this stereotype and it threatens your ability to perform at a high level. Underperformance leads to withdrawal, and withdrawal to further reduced performance. Other side effects of stereotype threat are reduced creativity, working memory, mental flexibility, and a change in testing strategies which results in lower test scores. For example, a group of researchers tested Caucasian and African-American students on verbal ability. When the groups were told the test was diagnostic of speaking ability, the African-American group performed half as well as the Caucasian group. However, when not told it was diagnostic, the two groups performed about equally.

Another related term we have all probably heard before is Imposter Syndrome, which, for those of you who are new to this, is basically when you feel like you don’t belong, and you are simply “faking it”. It is usually coupled with a fear that you will be “found out” and discredited. When you have success, and you discount your own hard work in it (e.g. it was an easy exam, they marked it easily), is a large portion of this. Sometimes you can keep succeeding, which exacerbates this condition by magnifying a fear of failure, leading to more work. The continuation of this cycle often leads to burnout.

Luckily, there are ways to fight this, and you are not alone, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help. You can always contact the Engineering Counselling Office, in CPH 1320, at (519) 888-4761. If you are not ready to do that, then here are some things you can do otherwise[4]:

Support: Developing a sound support system will go a long way to supporting all facets of your mental health. If you surround yourself with people you trust and value for their honesty and genuine interest in your welfare, then you will always be able to ask them about your perceptions to see if what you think is reflective of what others believe. In the same line, you can take compliments given by these people to heart, not just ways that they’re being “too nice” to you, but what their actual perception of you is. This support network may or may not include your family, but you are a human endowed with free will, and you can choose whomsoever makes you feel best about yourself. Also try not to rely too heavily on one person, for various reasons, possibly the most important of which is that doing so can engender feelings of possessiveness, another unhealthy mental habit.

Do your own Reality Check: One of the most effective ways you can help yourself develop a healthy attitude towards your place and sense of belonging wherever you are is to take some time by yourself and think critically about your perceptions about yourself, and about intelligence in general. You need to be honest with yourself about the effort that you put in, and relate that to the magnitude of the reward you receive at the end, and seriously consider what perceptions you have of yourself, including how they could very well be flawed. Everyone has their own insecurities, but individuals are more noticing of their own. If you look around yourself, and see others objectively, you will come to realize many are suffering from the same problems as you. Your friends and peers are not so different from you, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

Society has a screwed up notion of intelligence: Depending on where and how you were raised, you might associate different characteristics with intelligence. I hinted earlier that the idea of a static intelligence is misguided, but I am stating it now. Intelligence is fluid, just like gender and sexuality. Modern neuroscience is coming to the conclusion that much of what we used to consider natural ability is actually developed through training, whether active or passive. The human brain has an unknowably large chance to grow, especially with the right mindset. In the classical view of intelligence, you were either good at something, or not. In the modern outlook of neuroplasticity, you have the capacity to grow if you put in hard work. Those hurdles you face are no longer threats to your self-esteem, but a challenge. Challenges are meant to be overcome, and you will come out a better person on the other side of them.

To end on a happy note, remember that stress, anxiety, and concerns about belonging are normal. Everyone experiences these feelings from time to time, and in time, everyone can recover from them. These feelings are temporary, and with the proper attitude and a little help, you can overcome them. Every single person who was admitted into Engineering at the University of Waterloo has earned their place and deserves to be here. The Engineering profession can only benefit from diversity – of thought, of culture, of background – and just by being here, you are actively making the world a better place by becoming visible role models for minorities. Don’t worry about being perfect; nobody’s perfect. Most people aren’t even exceptional, but that’s okay. I, as a white male, do not need to exceed in engineering, because I am established, and I am the norm – why should it be any different for other people? You could be the ones inspiring the next generation of women and minorities to pursue a career of their choice, on their own terms, and not be unduly judged for it. Myself, I think that’s pretty heroic.