Frame

     The problem of gender discrepancy in majors, and specifically the lack of women STEM can be attributed to many factors. Simon, Killion, and Wagner, all part of the sociology department at University of Alabama, attribute the disparity to the difference in occupational values. They identify some values and feminine and some as masculine and claim that people of that gender tend to pick majors that accommodate their values and ideals. They also claim that STEM is looked at as being a "chilly climate" for women meaning traits innate in STEM are too masculine and therefore do not satisfy feminine ideals. Gokhale, Rabe-Hemp, Woeste, and Machina explain the lack of women in STEM due to negative attitude of those women and society towards women who want to pursue STEM. They bring in The Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior to explain the major effects of attitudes on decisions. Moakler Jr. and Kim found that lack of female role models is the problem because without role models their is not enough self confidence being instilled which does not help encourage women to join the stem field.

     The solution (which is still a work in progress) needs to be started before college. In order to encourage STEM majors universities should be working with high schools and programs like the Geoscience summer high school program whose effects were analyzed by Carrick, Miller, Hagedorn, Smith-Konter and Velasco. Women's interest needs to be sparked and fed early on in order to keep the interested. If this solution is implemented the next step would be keeping women in STEM once they enter college. The way to do this would be to change the pedagogy of STEM like Harvey Mudd did to better fit the needs, interest and values of women addressed in the problem stated above.