Women in Science and Demographic MappingNameInstitutionInstructorCourseDate Women in Science and Demographic MappingMy perception about a scientist includes a complex individual with a lab coat and spends his time in the laboratory conducting experiments. The aspect of science is quite complex for scientists to live a normal life and be social with other community members. A scientist is likely to live alone due to the nature of their work, which involves a lot of silence and concentration. Most of the scientists are likely to be old due to the long years spent in education, which is required for their profession. As a child, I pictured scientists as people with serious faces who were always clean wearing white lab coats in a lab with protected secrets that could cause harm to the world. I also thought that scientists were always men and always spent their time reading and doing research for the rest of their lives and could do so much damage with their knowledge. Gender stereotyping plays a major role in the tendency for girls to grow up to be scientists by shaping their perceptions about scientists (Yong, 2018). This can influence their decision on whether to undertake a science career or not.

Gender stereotyping can impact the children’s beliefs on what they can do based on the perceptions of different professions (Yong, 2018). Gender stereotyping varies around the world. In the United States for example, gender roles are openly defined where men are expected to perform the roles involving strength and masculinity (Yong, 2018).

The women are expected to remain at a level inferior to the men and perform the light jobs, which include cooking and raising children. This is the same in most of the countries and kicks in as soon as a child is born (Saini, 2017). Men are largely seen as strong and powerful while the women are viewed as soft and fragile. However, in some countries like Guinea-Bissau, women are expected to perform manly responsibilities, which include proposing to men and the management of property (Saini, 2017).

Portraying different professionals on the media, books, movies, and television can send negative and discouraging messages to the children. Most of the programs and articles picture most of the complex professionals as widely dominated by men, which is discouraging to the children interested in pursuing such careers (Horwath ; Ernst, 2013). This indicates that there are professions, which are deemed culturally fit for different genders and not others (Horwath ; Ernst, 2013). Individuals can help children in overcoming stereotypes that may influence their educational performance by creating a positive image all over the media (Horwath ; Ernst, 2013).

The cooperation of scientists and the authors of programs and books can be able to correct the stereotyping inaccuracies, which will better portray the scientists to the public and the children. These programs should portray positive views about scientists and involve women to participate in the programs (Horwath ; Ernst, 2013). ReferencesHorwath, E. I., ; Ernst, E. W. (2013). Gender in Science and Technology: Interdisciplinary Approaches.

Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar: Transcript Verlag.Saini, A. (2017). Inferior: How science got women wrong-and the new research that’s rewriting the story. Boston: Beacon Press.

Yong, E. (2018). What we learn from 50 years of kids drawing scientists. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/what-we-learn-from-50-years-of-asking-children-to-draw-scientists/556025/