Writing and Women’s Retention in Engineering

Abstract

Engineering disciplines have focused on recruiting and retaining women, assessing factors that contribute to decisions to enter or exit the field at every level. While many studies have examined writing in engineering disciplines, few have looked at writing’s role in women’s decisions to remain in or leave engineering. Using a case study of a professional civil engineer, Katy, this study examines the role that writing played in her dissatisfaction with engineering and her ultimate decision to leave the field. The author analyzes two genres of writing, meeting minutes and a preliminary engineering report, to explore how Katy’s writing practices often ran counter to her coworkers’ or supervisors’ approaches. While a single case study makes generalization impossible, this work opens the door to future research that accounts for writing in recruiting and retaining women.

Gender differences in professional identities and development of engineering skills among early career engineers in Finland

“…The major difference is found in perceived importance related to communication skills, which women more than men felt to be important in engineering. Gender differences in perception of the role of written communication in engineering work have been suggested to contribute to the attrition of women from engineering careers (Mallette 2017). Moreover, if engineering work is framed through a technical/social dualism, communication is often considered a management issue and thus not relevant or central for 'real' engineering (Trevelyan 2010) as the more heterogeneous and networked engineering identity is overpowered by the highly technical view of the profession (Faulkner 2007;Faulkner 2009).…”

“…For example, Miner et al (2019) find that junior women faculty in STEM experience an interpersonally chillier climate compared with junior men faculty in STEM and that working in such a climate has consequences for junior women's well-being especially when they have chilly interpersonal experiences with male colleagues. Mallette (2017) describes in detail how numerous factors along with the culture that excluded communication from the engineering work made a competent female engineer to leave engineering. Hatmaker (2013) further illustrates how women engineers need to engage in at times extensive identity work and agency-building efforts to be recognised and becoming an accepted member; work that men do not necessarily need to do.…”

Valuing Women’s Contributions: Team Projects and Collaborative Writing

“…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.…”

“…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].…”