Communications of the ACM
2015 STEM Index Shows Gender, Racial Gaps Widen
Credit: Talent Management
The results of the 2015 U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index show that, despite the efforts of corporations and non-profits, the gender and racial gaps in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have failed to improve and in some cases have gotten worse.
According to the index, women continue to trail men in the number of STEM degrees granted, exam scores, and general interest in STEM fields. The same holds true for race, with White and Asian students and graduates overwhelmingly outperforming Black, Hispanic, and Native American students on all three metrics; this is especially the case for Black students, who have increased the number of STEM degrees they earn between 2000 and 2014. Despite this, the share of all STEM degrees earned by Black students has declined over this period, while the share earned by White students has increased. "There either hasn't been much progress or it's declined," says David Miller, a psychologist at Northwestern University who studies STEM trends.
Several researchers say the continuing trends are due to persistent cultural attitudes that cause many to view STEM fields as the exclusive preserve of a certain kind of White or Asian male, which actively discourages women and minorities from seeking STEM education and employment.
From U.S. News & World Report
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Abstracts Copyright © 2015 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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