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University Leaders and the Public Agenda: Talking About Women and Diversity in STEM Fields
Author(s) -
Hopewell Lindsey,
McNeely Connie L.,
Kuiler Erik W.,
Hahm Jongon
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.2009.00407.x
Subject(s) - diversity (politics) , interdependence , discipline , rhetoric , context (archaeology) , equity (law) , public relations , political science , gender equity , content analysis , sociology , social science , law , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , biology
We undertake an investigation of public statements and pronouncements from leaders at various universities to gain insight into institutional values and environments relative to women and their participation and advancement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and other disciplinary fields. Employing content analysis techniques to focus on terminological use and keyword interdependencies in these speeches, our findings indicate that, while gender equality is addressed as a separate topic in its own right, university leaders raise issues of gender in the context of STEM participation primarily in conjunction only with other topics. As expected, the data also support arguments suggesting diversity in general as an important goal espoused in the rhetoric of university representatives. Questions remain, however, concerning whether these speeches presage concrete institutional commitments and responses relative to the achievement of diversity, gender equality, and gender equity in the STEM professoriate.