Making STEM "Family Friendly": The Impact of Perceiving Science Careers as Family-Compatible.

Weisgram, Erica S.; Diekman, Amanda B.

Two studies extended the communal goal congruity perspective to examine perceived incongruity between science careers and family caregiving goals. Study 1 examined beliefs about science careers among young adolescents, older adolescents, and young adults. Science careers were perceived as unlikely to afford family goals, and this belief emerged more strongly with age cohort. Study 1 also documented that the perception that science affords family goals predicts interest in pursuing science. Study 2 then employed an experimental methodology to investigate the impact of framing a science career as integrated with family life or not. For family-oriented women, the family-friendly framing of science produced greater personal favorability toward pursuing a science career. In addition, perceived fulfilment of the scientist described predicted personal favorability toward a science career path. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and for policy.

STEM education; CAREER development; TEENAGER attitudes; YOUNG adult attitudes; FAMILIES

Social Sciences (2076-0760), 2017, Vol 6, Issue 2, p61

2076-0760

Academic Journal

10.3390/socsci6020061