Cultural Anthropology: Analyzing Gender Roles and Science Careers

This essay provides an introduction to cultural anthropology by exploring gender stereotypes in science. It examines the common portrayals of scientists, reflecting on personal perceptions developed during childhood and how media influences these views. The essay discusses the impact of gender stereotypes on girls' pursuit of science careers, noting the disproportionate representation of male scientists. It also contrasts cultural differences in promoting science careers, highlighting gender equality in Asia and Europe versus male dominance in the Middle East and Africa. The essay further emphasizes the role of media in perpetuating gender stereotypes and suggests that adults and teachers should actively counter these biases to foster equality. The author references studies on the underperformance of girls in science and the influence of media portrayals on children's perceptions, advocating for a more equitable and inclusive approach to science education and career opportunities. Desklib provides a platform for students to access this essay and other study resources.

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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

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Option 1
Answer 1
In most of the pictures, I have seen both the male and female scientists wear white lab coat
and glasses. The body type of the scientists is tall and skinny and their hair is short. I found
most of the scientists are either Asian or Caucasians.
Answer 2
In my childhood, I get idea of scientists from the cartoon shows or from kids’ magazines.
However, when I drew scientists, I used to draw male scientists since I am a boy. With the
passage of time while I have grown up, I also meet female scientists in my college.
Answer 3
I have seen that the gender stereotype would not encourage the girls to pursue their careers in
science stream or would not acknowledge their potential, so that they become a scientist. As a
result, I found that the proportion of male scientist is more compared to the female scientist.
Answer 4
Promoting the career field of each of the culture is different. In the countries like Middle East
and Africa, the females in the science field are dominated by the male. On the other hand, I,
being a member of Asia and Europe, both the male and females are treated equally and they
are not distinct based on the gender.
Answer 5
It is noted that the medial portrayal has strong influence on the children. I have observed that
if both the male and female are applying for same profession, then the males are playing the
role of leader.
Answer 6
The adults would need to influence the child not to dominate the females. It would lead to
minimise the gender discrimination in the society and all of them would be treated equally. In
this context, the teachers would also require to take initiatives to influence them for
overcoming the stereotype concepts (Yong, 2018).

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References
Reader’s Digest. (2009). Understanding why girls underperform at science. Retrieved from
https://digest.bps.org.uk/2009/07/12/understanding-why-girls-underperform-at-
science/
Yong, E. (2018). What We Learn From 50 Years of Kids Drawing Scientists. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/what-we-learn-from-50-years-
of-asking-children-to-draw-scientists/556025/