Expanding Efficiency: Women's Communication in Engineering

Abstract

As engineering fields strive to be more inclusive of women, focusing on perceptions of women's work is vital to understanding how women can succeed and the limitations they may face. One area in need of more attention is the connection between communication and women's experiences in engineering. This article examines the gendered nature of writing labor in engineering, focusing on case studies of three women who were able to use writing effectively, yet how communication emerged as a gendered form of labor subject to gendered perceptions. While these women's communication skills led to professional success, their association with writing echoes a historical division, where writing is viewed as less valuable than technical knowledge. This division has the potential to disadvantage women who are asked to take on more writing-related tasks. In addition, their writing and communication is subject to gendered perceptions of being "chatty" or blunt rather than effective or efficient. Articulating these perceptions and attitudes can lead to a breakdown of the binary between writing and technical labor as well as appropriately valuing the contributions women make in engineering through writing.

Valuing Women’s Contributions: Team Projects and Collaborative Writing

“…For instance, perceptions of writing intertwine with interpersonal communication approaches; gender often influences how writers and speakers are viewed by others on a team. Research has demonstrated that gender influences perceptions of criticism, and women's writing may be more likely to be read differently based on beliefs about the writer's gender identity [5,9,12]. Future work should continue exploring how writing and gender identity interact as well as developing strategies to raise awareness of those interactions.…”

“…On the one hand, if women are stronger writers and are using that skill on team projects, as long as the writing is rewarded, then women shouldn't suffer from taking on a heavier writing load. On the other hand, evidence suggests that women are not being fully recognized for this writing work, particularly if the deliverable isn't just a written product [8,9,10]. As Sally points out, it would seem that the top male student in her cohort is able to be seen as successful despite not being more than an average writer.…”

“…While ideally all students will practice both technical and writing skills, it's more likely that groups will divide labor along lines of who is best able to perform each task. As research has shown, this division could disadvantage women as they are asked to take up more writing at the cost of developing technical skills [9]. In addition, the assumption is that women are better at writing; both Michaela and Sally expressed that belief, which means that writing is more likely to fall to women.…”

“…Other research suggests that in college courses, writing specifically is undervalued or invisible when compared to more technical or computer-based work, work frequently controlled by men [7]. In addition, women do more writing, which, while essential to engineering practice, is often undervalued or not as visible as technical design work [8,9]. These labor divisions, where women are likely to be doing the work of science but not receiving credit for it, persists in engineering and other science disciplines and offers one explanation of gender gaps in publication and grant funding [10].…”

“…For one, women are more likely to view themselves and be viewed by their peers and instructors as stronger communicators [11,12,13]. For some women, writing ability provides tools to demonstrate competence in school and workplace settings [9]. In other settings, hands-on, project-based experiences in engineering courses may enable students to identify more fully as engineers, increasing retention [14].…”