Name: Janet Montgomery
Class: MVIS 5301 - Statistical Applications for Visualization
Final Project

A exploration of STEM involvement by women

What is STEM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Within the United States, there is a signficant focus on increasing our world rank in STEM education and employment. An additional STEM focus is to increase the numbers of women and minorities in STEM fields.

STEM Funding Primary Objectives

Within the Federal Government, there were 254 unique funding investments relating to STEM between 2008 and 2010. Each investment is mapped to a specific agency and categorized its primary objective into one of seven options - Education Research and Development, Engagement, Institutional Capacity, Learning, STEM Post-Secondary Degrees, Educator Performance and STEM Careers. During this time, funding related to post-secondary degree attainment received the most funding.

STEM Degrees Conferred

The two STEM Degrees conferred charts provide a high-level view of number of STEM degrees that were conferred during 2007-2013. In the overall count of degrees, there was a significant increase in the attainment of post-secondary degrees by women in 2010, versus men. However, when the degree data is organized by degree type, the percentage difference of degrees is a fairly even split (though there is a slight skew towards women).


Relationship between Degree and Employment

Within this section, the two scatterplots begin to breakdown the relationship between the post-secondary STEM degrees conferred and STEM employment based on the sex of the individuals. Due to the significant difference values between the sectors, these values are shown as percentages of the total STEM degrees conferred and STEM employment, respectively.

The correlation for these values (based on the percentage) are as follows:

  • Men: 0.6511847
  • Women: 0.6511895

Although the correlations are almost identical, when you look at the scatterplots, the percentage of employment starts about twenty percent higher for men than it does for women. Additionally, when examining the actual points, the graphs are basically flipped - the lowest CIP sectors for men are the highest for women. For example, Engineering is the second highest sector for men both in education and employment, but represents the second lowest for women.

Degree and Employment Analysis - By Sector and Sex

Overall Degree and Employment Percentages

For comparision, an overall percentage breakout for degrees conferred and employment, by sex, follows:

  • Education Men: 43%
  • Education Women: 57%
  • Employment Men: 57%
  • Employment Women: 43%

This next section takes the STEM degree overview and allows for an exploration by sector. It illustrates that even though the education and employment overall percentages are only slightly skewed off-center, the underlying sectors vary dramatically. The sectors are organized by the CIP Codes (education), which have been mapped to SOC Codes (employment). The CIP to SOC mapping is a many-to-many relationship, which results in jobs appearing in multiple sectors. Each sector also displays its overall percentage numbers and any items of note.

It should be noted that the employment data does not capture teachers because the data used did not differentiate between the type of teacher. The education and employment data represents an aggregation of the same time period.

Select Sector(s) to Show

This section defaults to showing all options, but sectors can be shown or hidden using the below checkboxes.

Sector: Engineering

The Engineering sector is, as predicted, heavily dominated by men. Between education received and employment, men out-number women dramatically. Women are most seen in Operational Research Analyst and Natural Science Manager positions.

  • Education Men: 80%
  • Education Women: 20%
  • Employment Men: 84%
  • Employment Women: 16%

Sector: Engineering Technologies

The Engineering Technologies sector, like Engineering, are dominated by men. Within this sector, there is not a specific job where women are considerably more prominent than other options.

  • Education Men: 87%
  • Education Women: 13%
  • Employment Men: 81%
  • Employment Women: 19%

Sector: Computer and Information Sciences

Within the Computer and Information Sciences sector is also dominated by men, but women have a more consistent percentage within each job. Within this data, women are found the most in Web Developer, Computer System Analyst, and Database Administrator Roles.

  • Education Men: 77%
  • Education Women: 23%
  • Employment Men: 73%
  • Employment Women: 27%

Sector: Business

The Business sector shows a significant domination by men, with Operational Research Assistants again showing up as a field women gravitate towards./p>

  • Education Men: 65%
  • Education Women: 35%
  • Employment Men: 70%
  • Employment Women: 30%

Sector: Physical Sciences

The Physical Sciences sector shows an more even overall division between men and women, with the skew leaning towards men. The job area that shows the most women are Technicians and Research assistants.

  • Education Men: 61%
  • Education Women: 39%
  • Employment Men: 68%
  • Employment Women: 32%

Sector: Biological/Biomedical Sciences

The Biological/Biomedical Sciences sector shows an overall almost even split in education between men and women. However, when it comes to employment the numbers dramatically skew to men.

  • Education Men: 41%
  • Education Women: 59%
  • Employment Men: 73%
  • Employment Women: 27%

Sector: Social Sciences

The Social Sciences sector shows the closest even overall split between men and women across all the sectors. Although women acquired more degrees than men, the men outnumber women in employment. Women, again, dominate in Technician, Assistant, and Social Researcher/Scientist roles.

  • Education Men: 48%
  • Education Women: 52%
  • Employment Men: 57%
  • Employment Women: 43%

Sector: Health Professionals

The Health Professionals sector is an interesting sector to examine. At first glance, it shows a sector dominated by women. However, when you dig down into the data, women are in "softer" roles, such as Technicians, Therapists, Hygienists, or Nurses. The Physicians and Surgeons are still highly skewed towards men.

  • Education Men: 20%
  • Education Women: 80%
  • Employment Men: 33%
  • Employment Women: 67%

Sector: Human Services

The Human Services sector is another sector dominated both in education and employment by women. When looking at the breakdown of employment in this field, it represents a softer side as compared to items within the related Social Sciences or Health Professionals sectors.

  • Education Men: 30%
  • Education Women: 70%
  • Employment Men: 19%
  • Employment Women: 81%

Sector: Science Technologies

The Natural Resources sector shows an overall identical split in education and employment between men and women. When it comes to employment, women are still found most often in softer Technicians and Assistant roles (e.g., social and biological sciences over chemical and nuclear).

  • Education Men: 59%
  • Education Women: 41%
  • Employment Men: 57%
  • Employment Women: 43%

Sector: Math and Statistics

Within the Math and Statistics sector, there is skew, albeit smaller, towards men. The miscellaneous math occupations including Mathematicians and Statisticians represents the area with the most women, leaving roles like Economists and Actuaries to be even more dominated by men.

  • Education Men: 59%
  • Education Women: 41%
  • Employment Men: 60%
  • Employment Women: 40%

Sector: Architecture

The Architecture sector shows an overall almost even split in education between men and women. However, when it comes to employment the numbers dramatically skew to men. Women are most often found in the Urban and Regional Planner roles.

  • Education Men: 55%
  • Education Women: 45%
  • Employment Men: 80%
  • Employment Women: 20%

Sector: Agriculture

The Agriculture sector shows an overall almost even split in education between men and women. However, when it comes to employment the numbers dramatically skew to men. Within the sector, women have the largest numbers in the Agriculture and Food Science Technician role.

  • Education Men: 55%
  • Education Women: 45%
  • Employment Men: 70%
  • Employment Women: 30%

Sector: Natural Resources

The Natural Resources sector shows an overall identical split in education and employment between men and women. When it comes to employment, women are still found most often in Technicians and Assistant roles.

  • Education Men: 56%
  • Education Women: 44%
  • Employment Men: 60%
  • Employment Women: 40%
 

Conclusion

In conclusion, this analysis illustrates that although women are represented in all the STEM sectors, men still dominate the harder arenas. When looking at areas to engage women, efforts should to be focused to Engineering, Computers, Health and Medicine (particularly Surgeons/Physicians) and Scientists positions, to name a few. Furthermore, we need to examine why in a number of these sectors women are seen about even with men in education but are dramatically less when it comes to employment. Why are women choosing to or unable to find the same ratio of employment?

Sources