Could Wage Disparity Discourage Women from Engineering?

May 5, 2013
Nearly 60% of college students ages 18 to 24 are women, with the biggest differences in enrollment rates at private colleges and those in the southeast U.S. So with all these ladies pursuing higher education, why don't more choose to study engineering? It could be that they're paid less upon graduation.

Nearly 60% of college students ages 18 to 24 are women, with the biggest differences in enrollment rates at private colleges and those in the southeast U.S.

So with all these ladies pursuing higher education, why don't more choose to study engineering? Women are in the minority in nearly all engineering programs, and mechanical engineering has the worst numbers with only 7% female enrollment.

One cause could be the wage disparities women face once in technical fields.

Now, Rice University researchers have explored the root causes of this wage disparity in engineering. What they've found is that engineering training is based on a dualistic ideology — in which the field is artificially split between "hard" technical subfields such as product design and "soft" organizational functions such as logistics and staff management. Women are more often tasked with the latter. When they are tasked with more technical endeavors — the more valued and highly compensated work in engineering — they're underpaid.

"Dualisms are false representations of engineering ... as engineers' work ... involves technical and social activities simultaneously," says lead researcher Erin Cech.

Sponsored Recommendations

NEW Low Profile, Ultra Compact Power Supplies

March 13, 2024
Learn more HERE about Altech's Power supplies!

Altech's Liquid Tight Strain Relifs Catalog

March 13, 2024
With experienced Product Engineers and Customer Service personnel, Altech provides solutions to your most pressing application challenges. All with one thought in mind - to ensure...

Industrial Straight-Through Cable Gland

March 13, 2024
Learn more about Altech's cable glands and all they have to offer for your needs!

All-In-One DC-UPS Power Solutions

March 13, 2024
Introducing the All-In-One DC-UPS, a versatile solution combining multiple functionalities in a single device. Serving as a power supply, battery charger, battery care module,...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!