A PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN AS A SCIENTIST - BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS CREATEDBY GENDER-ROLE STEREOTYPES

Educational, attitudinal, and sociocultural factors create barriers th at prevent girls and young women from pursuing opportunities in scienc e. Of these barriers, gender-role stereotypes of science have been cit ed as a significant obstacle. This research analyses a US television s eries that counters gender-role stereotypes of science. The analysis f ound the images presented on this series challenge previously reported stereotypes of women scientists shown in the US media by emphasizing the expertise of women scientists, showing alternatives for balancing the demands of their professional and personal lives, and providing ex amples of role models who have succeeded in male-dominated fields. The significance of these results are discussed in light of gender schema theory and the need for future research on the effects of women scien tist role models on girls' and young women's interest in science.