The Art Of Being A STEMinist In A Feminist World | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

The Art Of Being A STEMinist In A Feminist World

The biggest challenges and benefits of working as a female scientist.

96
The Art Of Being A STEMinist In A Feminist World
Public Health Watch

Feminism in the 21st Century has taken on too many meanings. Some agree that it describes equality between men and women. But what does equality really mean? Some say it means that women need special legislation to ensure equal pay and rights. But is there really a pay gap (*cue the anger of millennial feminists*) and if there is, then is national legislation really the answer? These are not questions I intend to attempt answer. Frankly, I don’t care how you define feminism. I’ve decided, as a young female scientist, that there are more important things to discuss. Like STEMinism.

What is STEMinism? It is the movement of women in Science, tech, engineering, and math that their voices be heard. Since beginning an internship as a research student at a space research lab, I have come to appreciate the challenges and benefits of working as a female scientist. Through the highly scientific process of observation, I’ve discovered interesting connections between the two.

Challenges:

1. The workplace is extremely male-dominated.

It’s no secret that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) jobs are traditionally filled by more men than women. Looking around at meetings and after work soccer games, it is surprising if there are more than two women for every five men. It’s not that research labs do this intentionally, it’s just the way it is.

2. Many of your co-workers are literally geniuses.

Part of being a STEMinist is knowing your stuff. Competency is highly valued in a research work environment. Being presented with new problems that seem impossible to solve is a daily occurrence. It can be difficult to keep up with the (literal) geniuses at work.

3. You are constantly surrounded by liberals.

Yep. It can be tough to be told that “you need to apply to graduate school in [insert moderately socialist country here] because their education system is much better than America’s!” And with the Presidential Election coming up…well, lunch conversations can get more heated than the stars being studied in research labs. Can you feel the Bern?

4. You always feel like the extrovert of the group.

It can be difficult to always feel responsible for leading the conversation. STEMinists value science, tech, engineering, and math projects, so putting aside your more introverted side for the benefit of the group can be exhausting after a while.

Benefits:

1. The workplace is extremely male-dominated.

Luckily, working in a male dominated field has its own advantages. First, women often band together and create things such as Women’s Forums that focus on keeping the workplace happy for everyone and promoting women in STEM careers. Second, to put it bluntly, the pickings aren’t slim. Men who excel in STEM careers are intelligent and hard-working people. They make for great date buddies and even better friends.

2. Many of your co-workers are literally geniuses.

When you don’t even understand the problem you are dealing with, it’s difficult to develop a solution. That’s when it pays to be a STEMinist who is not afraid to admit that she needs help. And also when it pays to be surrounded by people who know their stuff.

3. You are constantly surrounded by liberals.

Yes, as shocking as it sounds, being friends with people who have different viewpoints than you is beneficial. Part of being a STEMinist is taking in a lot of information and learning how to process it efficiently and to your greatest benefit. It is nice to hear new perspectives, first to expand your knowledge of the world, and second to confirm that your initial moderate to conservative viewpoints make the most sense to you anyway.

4. You always feel like the extrovert of the group.

Another thing that STEMinists value is people. Not just the intelligence of people, and certainly not the appearance of people. But the essence of the person. This is the reason that being the conversation leader can be advantageous. If you’re the one deciding whether to talk about quantum statistical mechanics or the most exciting adventures of another person’s life, why not choose to get to know the person behind the brain?


You may have noticed, as I have, that the challenges and benefits of being a female are mysteriously equivalent. This beautiful paradox (that is really not contradictory at all) is the very reason that the next time someone asks “are you a feminist?” I will answer, with my head held high, “I am a STEMinist.”

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

4601
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments