What Does a Scientist Look Like?

Her name is Ellie, she is a civil engineer, and she is building bridges for future women.  

Sixty-six percent of 4th grade girls responded that they are interested in math and science. Yet, by the time they reach college, only 18 percent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) graduates are women. With a growing number of unfulfilled STEM jobs in the U.S. and women expected to only fulfill 25 percent of those, we have to ask: where are all the girls and why aren’t they here?

A recent study conducted by the British Psychological Society found that the lack of female representation can be linked back to cultural attitudes of gender. Regardless of how math and science may be taught, there are cultured views that people have and expectations of careers that are ingrained in children at a very young age.

When children are asked to think of a scientist, they will probably think of a white man in a lab coat. Girls and other minorities are less likely to pursue science and math because they cannot see themselves being successful. In reality, there are women like Ellie and Sariah in these fields

With the absence of role models, it’s hardly surprising that the STEM glass ceiling is only cracked.

  

“If you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves.”

-Junot Diaz.

A person's identity is tied to their culture. 

The biggest crime a society can commit against itself is to deny someone the ability to see their own self. What other minorities do you see that could benefit from simply being able to see themselves?

get invloved with GirlDevelopIt

This is Sariah, she is a coder, and she is developing new worlds for girls.

For more information:

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109939

France Cordova, first female chief scientist of NASA, http://www.makers.com/france-c%C3%B3rdova

National Assessment of Educational Progress

Get involved resources:

https://www.girldevelopit.com/

Five facts about people with two eye colors

Photo credit: Liesl Hansen

If you're wondering what's going on with the person whose eyes are two different colors, that's heterochromia. While at Fight for the Few we focus on more serious issues, it's good to take breaks every once in a while.

1. Here's how it happens

Iris color develops within the first few months of life, with melanin levels deciding the color. Sometimes more melanin gets in one of the eyes, which causes heterochromia. It can also occur later in life from glaucoma. Mostly it's hereditary, but it can also come from an eye injury or inflammation, so PLEASE stop setting your eyes on fire.

Joe Hadfield is no stranger to heterochromia. While searching Wikipedia for causes, he made an uncomfortable discovery.

“One of the last things on the list is that you might have had a womb twin and your body absorbed the genetics of the twin,” Hadfield said. "I have the strength of a man and an infant."

2. Pretty darn rare

Heterochromia affects about six out of every 1,000 people.

Image credit: Charlotte Duerden

3. The three types

Photo credit: Blikkk - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Central heterochromia comes from low melanin. The center of the iris is one color and circles the pupil. The color circling outside is the true eye color.

Photo credit: Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Sectoral heterochromia looks like a random, different colored spot in the same eye. This type can affect both eyes.

Staring into your soul.

Complete heterochromia is the most noticeable type. One eye color is a completely different color than the other eye. Complete is usually either genetic or acquired.

4. Celebrities with heterochromia

"Max Scherzer on July 12, 2015" by Keith Allison on Flickr

Max Scherzer, pitcher for the Washington Nationals, has complete heterochromia with blue and brown eyes. 

 Photo credit: Georges Biard. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

Actress Kate Bosworth, best known for Blue Crush, has sectoral, with one blue eye and a blue/brown eye.

Photo credit: Richard Goldschmidt. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons

Actress Alice Eve, best known for Star Trek Into Darkness, has one blue eye and one gray eye.

5. The weirdness that comes with it

With such a noticeable condition, odd comments come up. Sometimes people like to bring up their pet cats who have heterochromia, which leads to the awkward, very incorrect assumption that the person with heterochromia is also sterile.

But for Hadfield, most people just ask, "did you know your eyes are two colors?’” 

“That’s usually when I mess with them," he said, laughing. "I'll say, ‘Oh, no! The pills stopped working! I’ve got to go!’ and pretend to run away.”

Either way, heterochromia doesn't bother people who have it and they make it work.

Colorism: What you never thought to think about.

Colorism

Racism is discrimination based on race. Colorism is discrimination based on color, or more specifically, shades of skin colors.

Racism is a globally important topic, but colorism is spoken of very little. You don't see it in the news; it’s much more subtle than that.

History

Much like many aspects of racism, colorism is both a conscious and unconscious trend that has its roots deep in history. Oftentimes African slaves who had lighter skin would serve indoors, and those with darker skin would serve outdoors. After the Civil War it was the lighter-skinned Black Americans that generally became more economically succesful in a shorter amount of time. Learn more about the history of colorism here.

Over time great strides have been made in the arenas of civil rights and institutionalized discrimination- but the colorism problem, like many others, persists. It is unfortunately alive and well.

Image courtesy of David Snell

For example:

Take a look at the two magazine covers (right) featuring the same image of the same man- but there’s one obvious difference.

Why did TIME Magazine portray Simpson's skin so much darker than Newsweek? Or is it Newsweek portraying Simpson's skin as lighter than TIME? 

Are both images altered? If so, to what purpose? Does one cover portray Simpson as more ‘guilty’ than the other?

That’s definitely the vibe that viewers got. 

The general public responded to the covers, saying that Simpson’s skin was purposefully darkened to make him look more sinister. The fact that we even associate ‘darker’ with ‘more sinister’ is an obvious indicator that colorism is a serious problem.

Job Market

Studies show that immigrants with lighter skin tones make 8 to 15 percent more money than immigrants with darker skin.

A 2006 study (Harrison, Colorism in the job selection process) shows how skin color amongst blacks is more of a factor in the hiring process than educational background and prior work experience.

Beauty

The implications of colorism though, like racism, extend far beyond the workplace or crime. Pay attention to the next few movies you watch and you may notice a general trend: villains will oftentimes have a darker shade of skin than the heroes. Why? Think about what is often portrayed as 'beautiful' in your country. Can you relate to the quotation below?

“People are very quick to say, ‘so and so is beautiful. They have light skin.’ And i've seen people be judgemental of people with really dark skin. Like they constantly eye them as if to say, ‘you have dark skin and that’s all I can notice about you.’” 

-Shehnoor Grewal, 25

Colorism shouldn’t be placed on the societal backburner, and it starts with you. Be aware. Next time you're walking down the street, conducting an interview or sitting at school be aware of colorism's presence and do what you can to stop it. Check out this video (some language may be considered offensive) to see how everyday people face discrimination based on colorism all the time.



Written by: David Snell, Holly Kendall, and Alex Skinner.

Returned Missionaries Setting an Unseen Standard

How social culture has changed at BYU due to influx of RM’s

“Someone once told me I was not as dedicated to the church because I didn’t serve a mission,” said senior Emma Steward. The now classic ‘on my mission’ stories are told by both men and women who served as ambassadors for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The term “RM” means returned missionary. At Brigham Young University, religion and social culture has been widely changed by RM’s over the last year.

In October 2012, President Thomas S. Monson changed the age requirements to serve a mission. Men could go at the age of 18 and Females could go as early as 19.

Female RM’s, although the minority, have set an unseen bar for non-RM females. “I’ve met a guy that said if serving a mission is expected of men, then he will expect it of us,” said junior Amber Wallace.

“Did they not see what the apostles said? Sometimes I feel like it is the standard and if you don't people look at you and assume,” Wallace said.

For girls, they might not be the minority here at BYU but many of them say that the social culture makes them feel like they are.

The real minority are men who have not served missions and are not RM’s. Joshua Barnett, a senior studying chemistry had medical issues that prevented him from serving a full-time mission.

“When I get asked if I served a mission or where I served a mission, somehow I get embarrassed or ashamed to say No,” Barnett said. He expressed that even though he had the desires to serve a mission, he feels that people largely judge him because he did not serve.  

“Sometimes not serving a mission also affects my dating life,” said Barnett. He described how most women at BYU are turned off by non-rm’s.

The discrimination against non RM's is not just limited to BYU. Many non RM's across the county have also been victims of these social issues. Kenneth Morgan, a junior at UVU has experienced similar social repercussions for not serving. "Most girls automatically think I am not worthy enough to date them because I didn't serve a mission," Morgan said.

"What I did do was serve my country for four years in the U.S. Navy. I guess that's not good enough for some," said Morgan. He expressed that he also had a desire to serve a mission but due to military service he couldn't.

Whether female or male, social culture has made non-rm’s feel like the minority.

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