Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Gender Dimensions in Popular Science Writing in India


Affiliations
1 Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR), New Delhi 110 012, India
2 Defence Scientific Information and Documentation Centre, DRDO, New Delhi 110 054, India
 

Studies on gender disparity in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) are gathering considerable attention across the globe. Almost in every field of STEM a male predominance can be noticed. Gender analysis in popular science writing has not been studied so far. The present study was carried out to analyse the gender dimension in popular science writing in India using Science Reporter, India’s leading popular science magazine. All the issues of the monthly magazine published between 2010 and 2020 were analysed. The study supports the hypothesis that gender disparity is evident even in popular science writing. The number of articles contributed by women is considerably lower than men. Women tend to show more interest in collaboration in popular science writing

Keywords

Gender gap, popular science, science communication, Science Reporter.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Bucchi, M., Science and the Media: Alternative Routes to Scientific Communications, Routledge, London, UK, 2014, vol. 1.

  • Steinke, J., Portrayals of female scientists in the mass media. Int. Encycl. Media Stud., 2013, 3(2), 13; doi:10.1002/9781444361506.wbiems070.

  • Diekman, A. B., Brown, E. R., Johnston, A. M. and Clark, E. K., Seeking congruity between goals and roles a new look at why women opt out of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Psychol. Sci., 2010, 21, 1051–1057.

  • Chimba, M. D. and Kitzinger, J., Bimbo or boffin? Women in science: an analysis of media representations and how female scientists negotiate cultural contradictions. Public Understand. Sci., 2009, 19, 609–624.

  • Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V. and Pastorelli, C., Self-efficacy beliefs as shapers of children’s aspirations and career trajectories. Child Dev., 2001, 72, 187–206.

  • Liben, L. S., Bigler, R. S. and Krogh, H. R., Pink and blue collar jobs: children’s judgments of job status and job aspirations in relation to sex of worker. J. Exp. Child Psychol., 2001, 79, 346–363.

  • DeWelde, K. and Laursen, S. L., The glass obstacle course: informal and formal barriers for women Ph.D. students in STEM fields. Int. J. Gender, Sci. Technol., 2011, 3, 572–595.

  • Johnson, D. R., Ecklund, E. H. and Lincoln, A. E., Narratives of science outreach in elite contexts of academic science. Sci. Commun., 2014, 36, 81–105.

  • Andrews, E., Weaver, A., Hanley, D., Shamatha, J. and Melton, G., Scientists and public outreach: participation, motivations, and impediments. J. Geosci. Educ., 2005, 53, 281.

  • Seth, P. R., Women as science communicators. Sci. Rep., 2012, 49(1), 20–22.

  • Jarreau, P. B., In response to the top 50 science list, 2014; http://www.scilogs.com/from_the_lab_bench/in-response-to-the-top-50science-list/

  • Balasubramanian, D., Why are there more men than women in the field of STEM? The Hindu, 25 January 2020; https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/why-are-there-more-men-than-womeninthe-field-of-stem/article30653048.ece (retrieved on 1 February 2021).

  • Indian National Science Academy, Science career for Indian women: an examination of Indian women’s access to and retention in scientific careers; 2004; https://www.ias.ac.in/public/Resources/Initiatives/Women_in_Science/report.pdf (accessed on

  • Luntz, J., Gender barriers in science. Australas. Sci., 2011, 32(6), 22–23.

  • Baker, B., Women face more hurdles in science careers, survey shows. Bioscience, 2011, 61(1), 88–88.

  • Huge, M., Glynn, C. J. and Knobloch-Westerwick, S., The Matilda effect in science communication: an experiment on gender bias in publication quality perceptions and collaboration interest. Sci. Commun., 2013, 35(5), 603–625.

  • Zakaib, G. D., Science gender gap probed: overt sexism is no longer the norm, but societal barriers remain for women in science. Nature, 2011, 470(7333), 153.

  • Steinke, J., Women scientist role models on screen a case study of contact. Sci. Commun., 1999, 21(2), 111–136.

  • Nielsen, M. W., Gender inequality and research performance: moving beyond individual-meritocratic explanations of academic advancement. Stud. Higher Educ., 2016, 41(11), 2044–2060.


Abstract Views: 315

PDF Views: 129




  • Gender Dimensions in Popular Science Writing in India

Abstract Views: 315  |  PDF Views: 129

Authors

Biju Dharmapalan
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR), New Delhi 110 012, India
G. Mahesh
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR), New Delhi 110 012, India
Phuldeep Kumar
Defence Scientific Information and Documentation Centre, DRDO, New Delhi 110 054, India

Abstract


Studies on gender disparity in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) are gathering considerable attention across the globe. Almost in every field of STEM a male predominance can be noticed. Gender analysis in popular science writing has not been studied so far. The present study was carried out to analyse the gender dimension in popular science writing in India using Science Reporter, India’s leading popular science magazine. All the issues of the monthly magazine published between 2010 and 2020 were analysed. The study supports the hypothesis that gender disparity is evident even in popular science writing. The number of articles contributed by women is considerably lower than men. Women tend to show more interest in collaboration in popular science writing

Keywords


Gender gap, popular science, science communication, Science Reporter.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv121%2Fi10%2F1302-1306