VOA标准英语2010年-University Biases Keep Women, Minoriti

Poor schools, stereotypes², workplace & classroom barriers hold people back

Rosanne Skirble | Washington, DC 26 March 2010

Mae Jamison, former astronaut [left], promotes science literacy across the United States to produce more scientists and educate young people with a basic level of science and technology understanding.

Related Links:

Making Science Make Sense
Bayer Facts of Science Education XIV National Survey
Mae Jemison biography
American Association of University Women
Why so Few?

Mae Jemison has accomplished³ many things in life. She is a chemical engineer, medical doctor, college professor, and in 1992, became the first African-American woman astronaut to blast into space.

New mission

Jemison now runs her own medical technology company, BioSentient Corporation. She's also a spokesperson for Bayer Corporation's science outreach program.

Each year since 1995, the company has commissioned a survey on science literacy and workplace issues. This year, it polled 1,200 women and minority chemists and chemical engineers. Careers in science, technology, engineering and math are collectively known as STEM.

"I think that survey shows that, as minorities and women pursue a STEM career, they have to face a number of barriers along the  pipeline⁴ and what we need to do as a society is really understand what these roadblocks are," says Jemison.

While women and minorities make up two-thirds of the American workforce⁵, they represent less than 25 percent of STEM careers. The survey cites poor schools, lack of quality science and math programs, persistent⁶ negative stereotypes, financial cost and school and workplace bias⁷ as the reasons why.

Early interest

Jemison says the survey also finds children are interested in science at an early age.

"That means is that kids come out of the chute excited about the world around them. They are interested in what is going on but hit roadblocks. They are really derailed from their track to becoming professional scientists by academic systems and societies that are neither color blind nor gender⁸ blind."

Nearly two-thirds of those polled said women and minorities in STEM careers are under-represented in their companies or institutions. Forty percent said they were discouraged from pursuing their chosen career, typically in college and often by their professors, an experience Jemison remembers from her undergraduate days.

She says her professors were less than enthusiastic to see her in class. "It ranged from looking at me when I would ask a question as though something was very strange and then some other student would ask the same question and the teacher would say, 'This is an astute⁹ observation.'"

American Association of University Women

"Why so Few?" finds climates in university science and engineering departments limit women's participation¹⁰ and progress in science and technology fields.

Big gap

Despite a gradual increase in women graduating with undergraduate and graduate degrees in science fields, the gap between men and women remains¹¹ significant in the U.S. workplace.

That's according to a second report released this week by the American Association of University Women. "Why So Few?" compiles academic research from the last 15 years. Its findings underscore the social and cultural bias and barriers in higher education reported by the chemists and engineers in the Bayer survey.

Co-author Andresse St. Rose says, for example, while girls earn high school math credits at the same rate as boys, the myth that girls aren't good at math is persistent and powerful.

"Because of that negative stereotype¹, girls are more likely to believe that they are less able in math compared to boys who have similar grades and tests scores in math," says St. Rose.

But she is hopeful the situation can be reversed. "We believe that people can reset¹² their biases¹³ by taking a proactive step, choosing to educate themselves more about women in these fields, by putting up positive images of women in science in their classrooms and in their homes."

The AAUW report recommends steps to raise awareness¹⁴ about girls' achievement and interest in science, and to get colleges to attract and keep more female students and faculty¹⁵. St. Rose says all sectors¹⁶ of the community must implement¹⁷ these initiatives in order for them to be successful including, "kindergarten through 12th grade  teachers and guidance counselors¹⁸, college and university administrators¹⁹ and certainly employers and policymakers."

Former astronaut Mae Jemison agrees. She says stronger science programs in schools and colleges will not only put more women and minorities in science fields, but also fuel a more literate²⁰ democracy.
 

1 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

2 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

5 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

6 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

7 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

9 astute   

adj.机敏的，精明的

参考例句：

• A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
• The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾，足以对付侦探的机智。

10 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

13 biases   

偏见( bias的名词复数 )； 偏爱； 特殊能力； 斜纹

参考例句：

• Stereotypes represent designer or researcher biases and assumptions, rather than factual data. 它代表设计师或者研究者的偏见和假设，而不是实际的数据。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• The net effect of biases on international comparisons is easily summarized. 偏差对国际比较的基本影响容易概括。

14 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

15 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

16 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

18 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

19 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

20 literate   

n.学者；adj.精通文学的，受过教育的

参考例句：

• Only a few of the nation's peasants are literate.这个国家的农民中只有少数人能识字。
• A literate person can get knowledge through reading many books.一个受过教育的人可以通过读书而获得知识。