A Mixed Method Analysis of Gender Disparities in Scientists’ Accounts of Success

Research on gender and science exemplifies how gender disparities result in a hierarchy within some scientific disciplines, where women tend to face institutional barriers and biases. This article raises three critical questions at the intersection of gender and science, focusing specifically on the field of Engineering, where gender disparities are likely to be more pronounced: (1) Are there differences in the way male and female engineers define, measure, and interpret success? (2) How do sociological understandings of gender explain such differences? (3) Are gender differences in accounts of success more pronounced in Engineering due to its traditionally male-dominated nature? Preliminary results from 14 in-depth interviews indicate differences in the way men and women (i) accredit and measure their accounts of success through reference to other individuals, mentors, and scientific factors, (ii) interpret their own scientific success, and (iii) examine their contributions to the greater scientific community. Along with the interviews, preliminary survey results indicate only slight variations in criteria associated with success. Overall findings suggest that maintaining narrow institutional definitions/measures of success could leave scientists’ own understanding of certain factors that contribute to their own successes unaccounted for