First of all, make no mistake- women majoring and working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is vitally important. I am a huge proponent of women in STEM fields. There is an enormous disparity between the number of women in STEM majors and jobs and men in the same careers and majors. According to a 2009 census, women occupy less than 25% of STEM fields and majors, despite making up almost half of the total workforce of the country and more than half of the college student base. There is also evidence that many women make less when majoring in non-STEM fields. Even having a STEM degree does not guarantee that women will work in a STEM field; many women go on to work in education or healthcare. This ought not to be so. Women are smart and just as capable as many of their male counterparts, despite being shown in studies to be ‘less hirable’ for STEM careers than men with identical qualifications. While this discrepancy is significant and begs further study, it is not why I am writing this article. Right now, I am here to step up to the mic for all my sisters in non-STEM fields and majors.
We are just as capable of being in a STEM major, but we have *chosen* another path.
There are many studies that would argue that there are notable biological differences in women and men’s interest and capability in STEM fields, but they are simply biased and inconclusive. Women are just as capable and just as interested in science. Before switching to an English major with a double minor in Psychology and Classics, I was a Medical Lab Science major, on course to finish in three years, spend my last at an internship at a hospital, and proceed to get a doctorate in Behavioral Neuroscience. I wanted to conduct neurological research in depression, Alzheimer’s, and other mental diseases. I had a 4.0 in all my science classes, and I tested straight into Calculus, where I proceeded to make a high B. (An A was possible, but I missed the mark, admittedly owing to my own lack of studying. Oops.) I am more than capable of taking on anything that science major coursework could throw at me, and yet here I am, a student of the College of Communication and Fine Arts. Why? Because I chose it, despite loving what I was already pursuing.
I have l many reasons for my choice, but I suspect that if I asked many other women in non-STEM majors, I would encounter similar situations. Why is this? Well…
We can be just as interested in science, but we can have other interests as well.
One of the reasons that switching my major was such a drastic decision is one mentioned above- I was capable and interested in the study of behavioral neuroscience. Not only was I intelligent enough, but I was intrigued. At risk of sounding geeky here, the way that neural connections and neurotransmitter levels affect so much of our lives was a mystery that begged exploration for me There was nothing standing in my way, yet after a year gearing my life that way, I felt a tug in another direction – writing. For all my love of science, I have long been an avid reader and, in recent years, a budding writer. I had considered being an English major in my youth but quickly dismissed it for fear of being a ‘starving artist’ so to speak. However, as I matured and explored my interests, I felt a draw to seriously pursue writing, something that I feel God truly gave me a passion and talent for. Still, I felt and often still feel doubt. Why? Because I know I could do anything I wanted and I know I have a knack for writing, but I also know STEM majors are important and in desperate need of women like me. There are still days I feel guilt for not joining that <25% of women in STEM. I, like many other collegiate women, have the aptitude to pursue anything we put our minds to, even, if not especially, STEM fields. Many of us can even say that STEM majors might have been our first choice, yet we choose to seize other opportunities.
If we can admit that STEM is important and vital, and we enjoy some STEM fields, why not pursue the STEM fields that interest us? Well…
Our major is just as valid as a STEM major, and just as vital to our world.
Without English majors, many of your favorite books would not be on the market and many of your favorite TV shows and movies would be off the air. Without Fine Arts majors, music would suffer, and theatre would dwindle. Without Education majors, schools would crumble. Without Psychology majors, millions would suffer from sometimes crippling mental illness. Without History majors, we couldn’t reflect on our past mistakes and work toward a better future. Without Philosophy and Religion majors, we would fail to bring up and attempt to answer important questions relevant to our lives, existence, and humanity at large. Without Modern Languages and ASL majors, we could not build bridges to other cultures and break down barriers that so easily arise from language difference. All of these things and more are critical to a proper functioning republic. From the sanitation engineer to the CEO, if a single career field disappeared, the world would suffer greatly. Despite this, people, specifically young women, are often told (sometimes ‘jokingly’) that their field is a joke, or ultimately useless. The aggressive elevation of STEM above other majors points out an occasional tendency to demote the validity of all others, even if the demotion is an unintentional by-product.
We live in a world that often invalidates what we do, so why do we do it? Well…
We love what we do, and we think it’s important. It’s why we do it.
The English major that you told, “You won’t make any money” has probably heard that a million times before, but doesn’t care because they love nothing more than to be buried in a book and to proliferate endlessly on its implications for society. The theatre major that you joked is wasting their degree does not agree with you because they know that the play that they’ve been suffering hours on end of rehearsals for will touch some person’s heart and say something important about the human condition that mere words cannot. The psychology major that you reminded that psychology is not a real science is internally rolling their eyes as they think about the piles of statistics they must dredge through for their undergraduate research project on how people pick their major and reflect on how that affects the rest of their life.
These things are relevant. They are important. Every time you have gone to see a movie that stopped you cold and left you with something to ponder that you previously hadn’t. Every time you see a counselor who helps you sort through the hard and impossible struggles in life. Every time you read a book that rocks your whole world, A non-STEM major was there; they made that possible by pursuing what they love and admire. Not because they couldn’t be the one to discover a cure for cancer or find a clean and renewable energy source, but because they love what they do and truly believe that what they do is important in our society- just as important, in fact, as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Whether you believe in it or not, many will attribute the gender wage gap to women entering lower-income careers, rather than higher-income fields like STEM. While that might be true, the point stands thus- why? Why are some majors seen as less difficult, less desirable, or less necessary? These are questions I, admittedly, do not have answers for. Am I saying that elementary teachers should receive the same pay as a celebrated neurosurgeon? No. I admit, I don’t know where to go from here, but here’s a start- Let’s start recognizing that STEM fields are admirable and girls should be empowered and encouraged to pursue them, but not at the cost of women in any other given field. Women need to know that while the world still desperately needs women in STEM, it needs and appreciates artists, writers, dancers, social workers, counselors, historians, linguists, interpreters, teachers, journalists, secretaries, musicians, nurses, and businesswomen just as much. Remind them as well that humanities, arts, social sciences, healthcare, education, and other non-STEM fields are valid, honorable, and just as vital to a healthy, functioning America.
