Cultural Correlates of Gender Integration in Science

Examining gender diversity growth as a model for inclusion of all underrepresented persons in medical physics

The labor force of Medical Physics is one of the most gender diverse in the field of Physics, as it has attained the proportional achievement of ~30% women worldwide (Tsapaki et al. Phys Medica. 2018;55:33-39). While great strides have been made toward a gender diverse workforce, women still comprise an underrepresented group. Many strategies have been suggested to increase the participation of underrepresented persons by addressing unconscious biases, increasing opportunities, dedicated hiring policies, and providing support networks in science and medicine (Barabino et al. Sci Eng Ethics. 2019; Coe et al. Lancet. 2019), yet the personnel landscape remains largely uniform. Herein, the conditions, strategies, and approaches that facilitated gender diversity in Medical Physics are considered as a means to further the inclusion of other underrepresented groups through exemplars of mentorship, addressing unconscious biases and the implementation of inclusive practices. Furthermore, the potential for gender diversity to act as a catalyst to create an environment that is more accepting of diversity and supports and encourages inclusive practices for the participation and inclusion of other underrepresented groups in Medical Physics is discussed.

How We Are Doing What We Are Doing: Network Mechanisms of Gender Representation in I-O Psychology

The field of psychology has a long history of tracing the lineage of modern day psychologists back to their academic roots (Benjamin, Durkin, Link, Vestal, & Accord, 1992), and industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology is no exception (Culbertson, 2016). Why do we do it? Well, it is intriguing to see how our initial training may be linked back to some of the pioneers of our field. Perhaps it also represents how we are connected with one another—through our extended family relationships. But of course an academic family tree only reflects a portion of how we might be interconnected with one another—certainly our networks go much further than our dissertation chairs. Indeed, they might include our collaborators, coworkers and former coworkers, fellow former graduate students, and a host of people with whom we have connected at conferences or through other professional and personal relationships, and the composition of these networks, arguably, matters.

Compromising gender identities

Purpose

Given the limited research on women in information technology (IT) sectors in emerging economies and the importance of understanding their experiences working in highly gendered IT firms, the purpose of this paper is to examine the specific gendered strategies used by women engineers to stay in gender-atypical IT firms in Sri Lanka using job embeddedness as a theoretical lens.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection was done through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions on a sample of 14 women engineers employed in five leading IT firms in Sri Lanka.

Findings

Respondents perceived the work role expectations in the Sri Lankan IT industry as masculine. Respondents compromised their own gender identities to engage in four distinct strategies to link and fit with the prevailing work role expectations. “Using a hybrid style” and “being passive and neutral” were respondents’ link strategies, while “adopting masculine traits” and “demonstrating self-confidence” related to their fit strategies.

Research limitations/implications

Men and women who aspire to enter the IT sector need to be pre-prepared and educated about the characteristics of IT cultures and prevailing gender norms along with the subject knowledge. Managers of IT firms need to create positive work environments for their women employees that aid them to fit and link with their workplaces.

Originality/value

The study provides a deeper understanding of how women manage gender-related issues within gender-atypical IT firms in Sri Lanka and stay in their employment.