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Cultural Representations of Gender and Science

Portrayals of Female Scientists and Engineers in Popular Films

Western Michigan University, jocelyn.steinke{at}wmich.edu

Images of female scientists and engineers in popular films convey cultural and social assumptions about the role of women in science, engineering, and technology (SET).This study analyzed cultural representations of gender conveyed through images of female scientists and engineers in popular films from 1991 to 2001. While many of these depictions of female scientists and engineers emphasized their appearance and focused on romance, most depictions also presented female scientists and engineers in professional positions of high status. Other images that showed the female scientists and engineers’ interactions with male colleagues, however, reinforced traditional social and cultural assumptions about the role of women in SET through overt and subtle forms of stereotyping. This article explores the significance of these findings for developing programs to change girls’ perceptions of scientists and engineers and attitudes toward SET careers.

Key Words: gender and science • cultural representations of gender • female scientists and engineers • popular films

Science Communication, Vol. 27, No. 1, 27-63 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1075547005278610


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