Male Peers Research Articles

Encouraging Young Women into STEM Careers: A Study Comparing Career Intention of Female STEM Students in China and Scotland

AbstractWomen are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Whilst this is a worldwide phenomenon, there are differences in how this manifests in different countries. In order to understand this more deeply in a particular context, this study investigates the employment intentions of university STEM students in Scotland and China, analysing and comparing the intentions and the reasons behind them affecting young women in the two regions. The data represented 747 students from the University of Edinburgh, a large Scottish university, and Nankai University, a large Chinese university. The data showed that women are less likely to enter STEM careers than their male peers in both regions. In general we found that women in China had more hesitations about entering STEM careers than women in Scotland, but that Chinese women studying in Scotland had more similar responses to Chinese women studying in China than they did to other women studying in Scotland. Following an initial questionnaire, a semi-structured interview was designed to explore why the factors that affect women in different regions differed. Finally, combining the results of the quantitative and qualitative research, a number of recommendations are made that could encourage more young women into STEM careers.

A questionnaire survey on the prevalence of self-reported voice disorders in school teachers, and classroom noise in Japan

School teachers are known as professional voice users, hence any damage to their voice or throat could compromise their work as well as their lives. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 830 teachers working at elementary schools, junior-high schools, high schools and schools for children with special needs in Saitama prefecture in Japan. We investigated the prevalence of self-reported voice disorders in teachers and how their quality of life might be influenced. We also asked the teachers to share some of their experience with noise in classrooms. We found the following three points. Firstly, more than a quarter have consulted medical doctors for problems with their voice or throat. Secondly, quality of life of female teachers are slightly more affected by their voice problems than their male peers. Thirdly, approximately 20 percent of teachers are concerned about the noise in their classrooms.

Getting Straight about Male Homophobia: Rejecting the Reaction Formation Theory in Favor of Socialized Male Peer Acceptance

The predominant explanation of male homophobia, for lay persons and professionals alike, is a Freudian reaction formation against one’s own repressed or suppressed homoerotic desires. Instead, the primary motivation for homophobic behavior by men and boys is avoiding social shaming and maintaining social acceptance. In short, men and boys display homophobic behavior not because they fear that they are homosexual, but because they fear that other males might think that they are homosexual.

Dampak Gadget Terhadap Perkembangan Fungsi Sosial Remaja Di Pertanian IV Lebak Bulus Jakarta Selatan

Teenagers whose daily lives are altered by excessive gadget use may face a variety of health and social issues as a result of their overindulgence in technology. The purpose of this study is to ascertain how teenage social function development is impacted by gadget use. This study employs descriptive approaches in a qualitative manner. Data were gathered by documenting, interviewing, and observation. Purposive sampling is the method used in this study to select informants. Additionally, this study triangulates its data in order to verify the information derived from the field findings.The study's findings show what adolescents go through in terms of social functions, including developing new, more mature relationships with both male and female peers, achieving male and female social roles, accepting and making use of their physical condition, seeking emotional independence from parents and other adults, achieving guaranteed economic freedom, making career and family-planning decisions, and developing intellectual concepts and skills that are critical for civic competence. Additionally, informants reported negative effects, such as excessive use of gadgets that waste money on everyday necessities and negatively impact teenage behavior.

‘I Never Got Out of that Locker Room’, an Autoethnography on Sexual Abuse in Organized Sports

This autoethnography documents the emergence and persistence of the sexual abuse I experienced by multiple male peer athletes in a youth sports setting. The testimony signals how my presence in the locker room felt like a space invader for the group, resulting in numerous micro-behaviours, group formation processes, and shifting norms, which led to sexual abuse. Based on the notes and writings in my diary, a thick description is produced, to help facilitate an understanding of the culture in which the abuse took place. I offer my story as a pedagogical resource to incorporate in bystander education programs to teach trainers and coaches about the toxic and harmful interactions and dynamics that can emerge in male team sports because of a dominant, masculine, team culture.

Gender Differences in Social Support Vary by Environment Among Older People With HIV in South Africa and Uganda.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 3.7 million older adults living with HIV, who experience high rates of comorbid conditions. Formal services other than HIV clinical care are largely unavailable. Overall, women are the mainstay of informal social support networks, and older women with HIV may face burdens due to family caregiving expectations. Thus, it is important to understand the extent of informal support provided to older adults living with HIV, and how this is affected by gender. We examined differences in social networks, needs, social support and caregiving, and perceptions of support adequacy among women and men aged 50 and older living with HIV in Uganda (n = 101) and South Africa (n = 108), mostly rural and suburban populations, respectively. We used multiple regression to determine whether there was an association between gender and the amount of social support received and whether that varied by research site. Men were more likely than women to receive support from a partner. Women were more likely to live with offspring, both providing and receiving care. In South Africa but not Uganda, women received more help from family than men did. There was no gender difference in getting help from friends, but it was more common in Uganda. Living alone was strongly associated with less family help and more help from friends. Older women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa tend to be more heavily involved in social support exchanges-both providing and receiving care-than their male peers, but place matters. Interdependence is high in rural Uganda, where formal services are scarce and needs exceed resources. Given the projected growth in this population, stronger formal supports are needed for communities and older people with HIV, especially those who live alone.

Gender Representation Among Ophthalmology Fellowship Directors in 2022

Women are underrepresented in several medical specialties, including ophthalmology. Reducing disparities is critical in diversifying perspectives and increasing equity within ophthalmology, both of which can ultimately improve care delivery. We examined ophthalmic fellowship programs directors in the United States to investigate gender disparities by subspecialty. Cross-sectional study. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of ophthalmology fellowship program directors in academic medical centers. The primary outcome measure was a descriptive analysis of current fellowship directors in 2022 when stratified by subspecialty and demographic features. Analysis was conducted on 358 fellowship directors in the United States. Twenty-nine percent of directors were women. Female directors had significantly fewer years since residency graduation compared with male peers (17 vs 24; P < .001); however, no differences were observed by program type (P = .896) or location (P = 0.104). Differences in female director representation were observed by subspecialty (P < .001), with the greatest percentage of women in pediatric ophthalmology (54%), other (oncology and pathology) fellowships (50%), and medical retina (40%). The subspecialties with the lowest percentage of female directors were oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery (13%) surgical retina and vitreous (16%). There are disparities in female representation in academic leadership positions across ophthalmic subspecialties. Addressing this difference may have critical impacts on career advancement and opportunities available for marginalized groups in medicine.

ChatGPT identifies gender disparities in scientific peer review

The peer review process is a critical step in ensuring the quality of scientific research. However, its subjectivity has raised concerns. To investigate this issue, I examined over 500 publicly available peer review reports from 200 published neuroscience papers in 2022–2023. OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence ChatGPT was used to analyze language use in these reports, which demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional lexicon- and rule-based language models. As expected, most reviews for these published papers were seen as favorable by ChatGPT (89.8% of reviews), and language use was mostly polite (99.8% of reviews). However, this analysis also demonstrated high levels of variability in how each reviewer scored the same paper, indicating the presence of subjectivity in the peer review process. The results further revealed that female first authors received less polite reviews than their male peers, indicating a gender bias in reviewing. In addition, published papers with a female senior author received more favorable reviews than papers with a male senior author, for which I discuss potential causes. Together, this study highlights the potential of generative artificial intelligence in performing natural language processing of specialized scientific texts. As a proof of concept, I show that ChatGPT can identify areas of concern in scientific peer review, underscoring the importance of transparent peer review in studying equitability in scientific publishing.

ChatGPT identifies gender disparities in scientific peer review.

The peer review process is a critical step in ensuring the quality of scientific research. However, its subjectivity has raised concerns. To investigate this issue, I examined over 500 publicly available peer review reports from 200 published neuroscience papers in 2022-2023. OpenAI's generative artificial intelligence ChatGPT was used to analyze language use in these reports, which demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional lexicon- and rule-based language models. As expected, most reviews for these published papers were seen as favorable by ChatGPT (89.8% of reviews), and language use was mostly polite (99.8% of reviews). However, this analysis also demonstrated high levels of variability in how each reviewer scored the same paper, indicating the presence of subjectivity in the peer review process. The results further revealed that female first authors received less polite reviews than their male peers, indicating a gender bias in reviewing. In addition, published papers with a female senior author received more favorable reviews than papers with a male senior author, for which I discuss potential causes. Together, this study highlights the potential of generative artificial intelligence in performing natural language processing of specialized scientific texts. As a proof of concept, I show that ChatGPT can identify areas of concern in scientific peer review, underscoring the importance of transparent peer review in studying equitability in scientific publishing.

Defiant conformists: gender and resistance against genocide

AbstractThis article argues that college-educated women play a crucial part in successful resistance against genocide because they are more likely to forge secure interregional networks and, consequently, better able to shelter victims of mass-persecution than their male peers. We develop our argument through a study of Jewish rescue networks in the Netherlands during the Holocaust. College-educated women were especially valuable during rescue efforts due to their ability to operate as defiant conformists. These women – a small minority who were anything but traditional – could more fully exploit their biographical availability and university networks by concealing interregional resistance work through the strategic performance of traditional feminine roles. Statistical analyses of geocoded rescue networks reveal that rescue networks involving college-educated women were more successful because they funneled Jews across the country without getting exposed. More in-depth exploration of distinct networks identifies three dramaturgical strategies that college-educated women deployed to facilitate clandestine and geographically expansive rescue work: 1) strategic coquetry; 2) strategic self-devaluation; 3) strategic motherhood and wedlock. Taken together, our findings suggest we should focus on how gender and other forms of social status interact to produce the relational and dramaturgical underpinnings of civilian agency in times of emergency.

Do the Best and Brightest West Point Officers Stay in or Leave the Army?

Studying archival data from 16 West Point cohorts (classes of 1992–2007, N = 13,309), this article operationalizes the concept of “best and brightest” and then investigates whether the best and brightest West Point cadets depart the Army at a higher rate than their average-performing peers. A combination of multi-variable regression and survival analysis indicates that the best and brightest West Pointers are as likely to stay in the Army past year 6 (to serve as a company commander) and are more likely to stay in the Army past year 10 (to serve as a field grade officer) as compared with their average- and lower-performing peers. In addition, among the best and brightest West Pointers, both female and minority officers are as likely to stay in the Army past year 6 as their male and Caucasian officer peers, respectively, although minority officers are much less likely to stay past year 10 than their Caucasian male peers.

The teacher-student relationship: A comparative study of the report of students with autism spectrum disorder and typical development

The teacher-student relationship (TSR) is an important factor for promoting academic success. Even though students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience more educational difficulties, the TSR in ASD students has been understudied, and there is a significant empirical gap in the perception that ASD adolescent students themselves have of their relationships with their teachers. The present study followed a non-experimental, correlational, cross-sectional and comparative design to analyze the TSR in ASD adolescents in comparison to the TSR of their typically developing (TD) peers. Sixty-four students (33 females, 31 males) who were in their first year of secondary school ( participated in the study. 32 of them had ASD and 32 had TD. The TSR subscale of the SEI was applied (Appleton et al., 2006). The results show significant interaction effects between student condition and gender, where female ASD students reported a worse relationship than their male ASD peers. These findings differ from existing research indicating that ASD students experience worse TSR and that female students experience better relationships than male students. The important role of the existing school integration program in Chilean schools, and guidelines for future research to explain the gender differences found in this study are discussed.

Effects of the Involvement of Male Counterparts in the Menstrual Hygiene Management of Women and Adolescent Girls With Disabilities in Selected Sub-districts of Bangladesh: Protocol for a Quasi-experimental Study.

Background Women and adolescent girls with disabilities suffer the most difficulties during menstruation days in developing countries like Bangladesh. They deal with menstruation in a hazardous and unclean manner. In Bangladesh, men serve as the family's gatekeepers for health-seeking behavior. But they frequently have no idea how unpleasant and demanding menstruation can be. Menstrual hygiene care for women and adolescent girls with disabilities can be improved by involving male peers. In Bangladesh, no such intervention has been assessed. The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of male participation on menstrual hygiene management of women and adolescent girls with disabilities in Bangladesh. Methods This will be a quasi-experimental study with a sample size of 120 (60 - control, 60 - intervention). The study will be conducted in a sub-district of Bogura and Chapainawabganj in Bangladesh. Inclusion criteria for the study participants are women and adolescent girls with disabilities (intervention and control groups) and male counterparts (intervention group). The exclusion criteria for this study are women and adolescent girls with mental and intellectual disabilities. Engaging male peers in menstrual hygiene management is the key intervention in the study. No blinding or randomization will be applied. The expected primary outcome in the intervention group will be an improvement in the menstrual hygiene management of women and adolescent girls with disabilities in the selected sub-districts of Bangladesh. Two times data will be collected from the intervention and control groups using the 'Menstrual Practice Needs Scale-36', 'Perceived Stress Scale', and 'Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support'. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test will be applied to a two-point data series to assess statistical significance. Results The result of the study will be published in a scientific journal. The outcomes of the research will be disseminated to local policymakers and health planners. The health administrator will get evidence-based information on gender-inclusive menstrual hygiene management for women and adolescent girls with disabilities through study result dissemination events. Conclusion This protocol for a quasi-experimental study in Bangladesh highlights the potential advantages of involving male peers in the menstrual hygiene management of women and adolescent girls with disabilities. It may promote gender-inclusive behavior in selected subdistricts of Bangladesh.

Emilia Pardo Bazán, folletinista and ‘noveladora moral’: La dama joven and Mujer

This article seeks to understand how Emilia Pardo Bazán engaged with and utilized two iterations of creative writing - the folletín and the didactic novel - repudiated by her male peers in Spain's Restoration literary scene. It does so by engaging closely with La dama joven through publication history and close reading of the novella itself. It does likewise with the later novella, Mujer, while situating the discussion with a broad field of recent criticism on both the period and Pardo Bazán herself.

Current situation and factors influencing physical fitness among adolescents aged 12 ∼ 15 in Shandong Province, China: A cross-sectional study

Adolescent physical fitness serves not merely as a current barometer of well-being but as a significant prognosticator of future health trajectories. Amidst the tumult of socioeconomic metamorphoses and pronounced lifestyle transitions enveloping China—mirroring global trends—the imperative to elucidate the present landscape of adolescent physical fitness intensifies. Moreover, discerning the myriad determinants underpinning it becomes paramount. In this context, our research endeavored to meticulously delineate the physical fitness milieu of adolescents residing in Shandong Province, systematically unpacking the multifarious influencers thereof. The insights garnered herein furnish an empirical foundation, primed to guide the sculpting of calibrated interventions, targeting the enhancement of health in this pivotal population cohort. In an extensive evaluative survey conducted in 2023 concerning the physical fitness of Shandong's student populace, a cohort of 33,211 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years was delineated utilizing a stratified random cluster sampling technique. This exercise meticulously quantified the physical fitness indices across diverse gender, age, and household registration classifications, subsequently computing the concomitant qualified rates. Employing multivariable logistic regression analysis, this investigation delved into the determinants modulating the adolescents' physical fitness qualified rate. For 2023, the aggregate fitness qualified rate stood at 91.94 % for the adolescents aged 12 ∼ 15 in Shandong Province. Gender-wise, female adolescents registered a qualified rate of 92.25 %, marginally eclipsing their male peers at 91.63 % (P < 0.05). An age-related trend in qualified rates was discernible, with marked variations across different age bands (P < 0.05): 91.37 % for 12-year-olds, 91.79 % for 13-year-olds, 91.81 % for 14-year-olds, and a zenith of 92.87 % for 15-year-olds. A geographical dichotomy emerged wherein rural adolescents distinctly outperformed their urban counterparts, notching up a 92.28 % qualified rate versus 91.64 % in urban settings (P < 0.05). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, and household registration characteristics, adolescents had a lower odds of failing the physical fitness tests whose parents both liked physical exercises, whose parents supported children’s participation in physical exercise, who participated in physical exercise sessions 3 ∼ 5 times per week or more than 5 times per week, who exercised for 0.5 ∼ 1 hour each time or more than 1 hour each time, who engaged in moderate intensity physical exercise, who slept 6 ∼ 8 hours per day or more than 8 hours per day, who consumed breakfast 3 ∼ 6 times per week or daily. On the other hand, adolescents had a higher odds of failing the physical fitness tests who always exposed to passive smoking, who spent 1 ∼ 3 hours on screen per day or more than 3 hours on screen per day, who spent more than 3 hours doing homework per day, who consumed fast food 2 ∼ 3 times per week or more than 3 times per week. The physical fitness trajectory of adolescents residing within Shandong Province is tethered to a mosaic of determinants. This underscores the imperative for a synergistic strategy, harmonizing parental, scholastic, and societal vectors, to cultivate the salubrious maturation of this pivotal cohort.

Understanding gender disproportion and influences on subject choice in Physical Health Education: a British Columbia high school case study

ABSTRACT The aim of this qualitative case study is to examine the phenomenon of female students’ disproportionate representation in senior level Physical Health Education (PHE) classes. The subject for this teacher’s Masters level project arose from the first author’s personal observations while teaching across several schools in British Columbia, Canada. Through semi-structured interviews with self-identified female participants, we explore female subject choice and if, along with possible reasons why, females may avoid participation in senior level (grade 11-12) mixed gender PHE activity courses. This discussion asserts that females mostly make conscious choices to avoid mixed gender courses at the senior level for several key reasons; females feel silenced by their male peers, PHE is not an inclusive environment, and females perceive their male counterparts assert dominance over them in PHE class. This paper continues with a discussion regarding reinforced gendered norms and their effect on perceived barriers to female participation in schools, and concludes with suggestions for how schools and educators might support female students’ participation.

Complex thinking and its relationship with gender and age in a group of Mexican students

The literature addresses the importance of developing competencies, but not from the complexity theory, nor does it show the importance of the correlation between gender and age in this process. This article aims to show the results of a study seeking a possible correlation between the perceived achievement of complex thinking competency and gender and age in a student population attending a technological university in western Mexico. The intention is to argue whether there is a statistically significant difference in the acquisition and development of this competency between men and women of different ages during their training. Methodologically, a multivariate descriptive statistical analysis was carried out to demonstrate the relationship between these indicators. We concluded that there is evidence of a gender gap in developing the perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency and its sub-competencies since neither in the overall result nor in the specific results by indicator did women achieve results proportional to those of their male peers, although, in most competencies, they initially surpassed them. The learning experience shows that the gender gap in perceived achievement of complex thinking competency widens as the student population advances in their training process.

Navigating a male dominated domain: experiences of female STEM students in higher education in Ireland

ABSTRACT It is well established that female participation in STEM diminishes at all stages of the education pipeline. National policy in Ireland is focussed on initiatives to address the STEM gender gap from early years to the end of secondary school (age 18/19) education. However, strategy in higher education is limited, with gender equality policy primarily aimed at staff and the broader institution. This qualitative research study, involving in-depth interviews with 21 female STEM students provides new insights into the experiences of female students who choose mathematics-intensive STEM fields (physics, computer science, engineering, and mathematics), where the gender gap is most pronounced. The aim of the study was to identify how a predominately male-dominated STEM course and environment influenced female students’ experiences. Prior to entering university, participants held high self-concept and interest in STEM. Using a situated expectancy-value theoretical lens to interpret the data, the research found that unconscious gender bias in university led female students to feel undervalued by their male peers. This negatively impacted their self-beliefs and interest, resulting in female students feeling more pressure to perform and less willing to participate in the learning environment. The implications for policy, practice, and future research are considered.

Comparison of mathematics self-efficacy perceptions of gifted and normally developing primary school students

This study aims to compare the mathematics self-efficacy perceptions of gifted and normally developing primary school students according to different variables (gender, grade, preferred course, being a gifted/normally developing student). For this purpose, the study was designed according to the survey design. The study group consisted of 63 gifted Science and Art Center students and 89 primary school students (3-4th grade). The study data were collected with the “Mathematics Self-Efficacy Perception Scale” and “Personal Information Form.” Before analyzing the obtained data, the normality condition of the data was checked. An Independent Sample t-test was used to analyze the data that met the normality condition. In contrast, the Man Whitney U test was used to analyze the data that did not meet the normality condition. As a result of the data analysis, according to the class variable, the mathematics self-efficacy of 3rd-grade normally developing students differed significantly in the attitude sub-dimension and the whole scale compared to 4th-grade students. 3rd grade gifted students showed a significant difference in mathematics self-efficacy only in the motivation sub-dimension compared to their peers with normal development. According to the gender variable, it was determined that the math self-efficacy of gifted male students differed significantly in the motivation sub-dimension compared to their normally developing male peers. According to the variable of favorite course, it was seen that gifted students who preferred mathematics courses in the first place differed significantly in the attitude sub-dimension of mathematics self-efficacy and the whole scale compared to gifted students who did not prefer mathematics courses in the first place. The mathematics self-efficacy of normally developing students who preferred the mathematics course in the first place differed significantly in all three sub-dimensions (attitude, motivation, and practice) and the whole scale compared to their peers who did not prefer the course in the first place. The mathematics self-efficacy of gifted students who chose other courses in the first place differed significantly in attitude and motivation sub-dimensions compared to normally developing students who preferred other courses in the first place. According to the variable of being a gifted/normally developing student, the mathematics self-efficacy perceptions of gifted primary school (3-4th grade) students differed significantly only in the motivation sub-dimension compared to their normally developing peers.

Safety of Journalists from a Gendered Perspective: Evidence from Female Journalists in Ghana’s Rural and Peri-Urban Media

This study sought to explore the safety risks female journalists working in Ghana`s rural and peri-urban media encounter while doing their work, how safe they feel and how they are coping with safety breaches. Thirteen semi-structured interviews with female journalists employed by Ghanaian broadcast media outlets in rural and peri urban areas were undertaken. Guided by Braun and Clark’s (2006) six steps for qualitative data analysis, interview transcripts were thematically analysed. It was found that physical and emotional security threats; poor working conditions were the main threats to female journalists working in Ghana’s rural and peri urban media. While there are generally bad working conditions, some participants believe that men receive more benefits and opportunities for professional growth than women. Compared to their male peers, females are occasionally ridiculed and refused training and professional opportunities. When there are safety violations, employers generally offer little assistance. Female journalists cope with violations and insecurities by self-censoring, avoiding working during specific hours of the day, and steering clear of reporting conflicts, politics, and elections as a safety measure. The study recommends that to avoid maladaptive actions by journalists, media organisations address the safety needs of their female journalists. Journalists themselves should look out for personal security initiatives to enhance their skills.