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Autori principali: Strain, Smith, Leibnitz, Noah, Ruben, Reagan, Li, Yangqiuting, Burkholder, Eric
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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Accesso online:https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07126
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author Strain, Smith
Leibnitz, Noah
Ruben, Reagan
Li, Yangqiuting
Burkholder, Eric
author_facet Strain, Smith
Leibnitz, Noah
Ruben, Reagan
Li, Yangqiuting
Burkholder, Eric
contents In this work, we present the results of semi-structured interviews with four women to explore how they perceive themselves with respect to three gender constructs (femininity, masculinity, androgyny), and how they believe others perceive them. All the women highlighted the performative nature of gender in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), citing (1) stereotypes that women are not analytical thinkers, or femininity being associated with "being stupid"; (2) the pressure to conform to the masculine norms of STEM, and (3) a pressure to perform to prove that they belong in STEM. Some of these women aligned their own perceptions of their gender with these norms, while others expressed frustration with the tension between their gender and how that is perceived by peers in STEM. This work suggests that conceptualizing gender as performance is a useful lens for understanding the oppression and underrepresentation of women and gender minorities in STEM.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_07126
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Living in the tensions: Investigations of gender performativity in STEM
Strain, Smith
Leibnitz, Noah
Ruben, Reagan
Li, Yangqiuting
Burkholder, Eric
Physics Education
In this work, we present the results of semi-structured interviews with four women to explore how they perceive themselves with respect to three gender constructs (femininity, masculinity, androgyny), and how they believe others perceive them. All the women highlighted the performative nature of gender in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), citing (1) stereotypes that women are not analytical thinkers, or femininity being associated with "being stupid"; (2) the pressure to conform to the masculine norms of STEM, and (3) a pressure to perform to prove that they belong in STEM. Some of these women aligned their own perceptions of their gender with these norms, while others expressed frustration with the tension between their gender and how that is perceived by peers in STEM. This work suggests that conceptualizing gender as performance is a useful lens for understanding the oppression and underrepresentation of women and gender minorities in STEM.
title Living in the tensions: Investigations of gender performativity in STEM
topic Physics Education
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07126