“subtle micro-messages impact the success of women and girls in stem” funded by a grant from the...

“Subtle Micro-Messages Impact the Success of Women and Girls in STEM”

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, GSE/EXT: STEM Equity Pipeline Project, Grant No. HRD-0734056 © 2009 National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity

Mimi Lufkin, CEO, NAPE Education Foundation

Robbin Chapman, PhDAssociate Provost and

Academic Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Wellesley College

STEM Equity Pipeline

Project of the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation

Funded by the National Science Foundation

Human Resources Directorate, Gender in Science and Engineering Program, Extension Services Grant

GoalsBuild the capacity of the formal education community to provide high quality professional development on gender equity in STEM educationInstitutionalize the implemented strategies by connecting the outcomes to existing accountability systemsBroaden the commitment to gender equity in STEM education

STEM Equity Pipeline Project Methods

Professional Development

Teacher Training

Consulting and Technical Assistance

Virtual Web-based Professional Learning Community

Best Practices Handbook

How can you get involved?

Participate on your State Team

Participate in the virtual learning community by going to www.stemequitypipeline.org

Poll

Who is participating in today’s webinar?1. School/College Administrator

2. Teacher/Faculty Member

3. Counselor/Student Services Staff

4. State Agency Staff

5. STEM Organization Staff

6. Other

Subtle Micro-Messages Impact the Success of Women and Girls in STEM:

Let’s Move from Inequities to Affirmations

Robbin Chapman, PhDAssociate Provost and

Academic Director of Diversity and InclusionWellesley College

© 2009, Robbin Chapman, PhD

Webinar Objectives

Session 1:• Introduction• Definitions• Triggers• Recognizing• Exercises• Summary

Session 2:• Review and report outs• Responding to micro-inequities• Tools for personal development • Seeding positive experiences for women in STEM fields

04/18/23 8© 2009, Robbin Chapman, PhD

Session I - Objectives

• Introduction to Micro-messaging

• Understanding and Fluency

• Micro-message Triggers

• Recognizing Micro-messages

• Exercises

• Overview of Session II


Setting the Stage

• Challenges for women in STEM fields

• Addressing the “chilly climate”

• Taking action for change

Overt negative behaviors, such as harassment, are more readily visible

It’s the small and seemingly insignificant behaviors that are more challenging to recognize


Chris Argyris’ Ladder of Inference

Taking Action

04/18/23 © 2009, Robbin Chapman, PhD

Taking Action

Dealing with our own unconscious biases as teachers and mentors

Dealing with inappropriate actions of others

04/18/23 © 2009, Robbin Chapman, PhD

Chris Argyris’ Ladder of Inference

EQUITY

Concept or idea of fairness.

DIVERSITY

Measure of variance along some dimension within a group

INCLUSION

Fully and respectfully involving all individuals in the activities and life of an organization

Talking the Talk


Talking the Talk

MICRO-MESSAGESSignals we send to one another through our behavior. They are called “micro” because the behaviors are small, although their impact can be enormous.

MICRO-INEQUITIESMicro-messages we send other people that cause them to feel devalued, slighted, discouraged or excluded.

MICRO-AFFIRMATIONSMicro-messages that cause people to feel valued, included, or encouraged.04/18/23 14© 2009, Robbin Chapman, PhD

Micromessaging

90% of our communication is non-verbal


Micromessaging

90% of our communication is non-verbal

What kinds of messages are you sending?


Deconstructing Micro-Inequities

These subtle messages build up and have a huge impact

• Negative micro-messages

• Tiny, pervasive, cumulative, discouraging

• Often semi-conscious

• Lurking just below the surface

• Built into an organization’s culture


Deconstructing Micro-Inequities

These subtle messages build up and have a huge impact

• Characterized by:

– Looks, gestures, tones

– Seemingly harmless messages of devaluation

– Absence of message

– Levels of interaction


Examples of Micro-Inequity• Dismissing the idea of a female student only to applaud the

same idea when paraphrased by a male student.

• A chair uses a light-hearted, playful greeting with some faculty, but greets others in a formal, more distant manner.

• Search committee members are welcoming when meeting white male candidate but reserved when meeting a woman candidate.

• Repeatedly confusing the names of classmates who share the same ethnic background.

• A faculty member is fully engaged when responding to the contribution of a male student, but critical when females respond.


• Facial expressions or body language dismissing importance of diversity

• A woman faculty is not introduced or ignored completely after being introduced

• Assumption that women faculty are secretaries or support staff

• Referring to white male faculty as “Dr.” or “Professor” but referring to female or faculty of color by first name or “Mr.” or “Mrs.”

• Chair introduces new male faculty member at department meeting by talking about his research; introduces new female faculty member by talking about how she will bring attractiveness to the faculty ranks

Examples of Micro-Inequity


The Cost of Micro-Inequity

• Leads to damaged self-esteem, withdrawal

• Discourages creativity and risk-taking

• Results in negative Pygmalion effect

Think of some micro-inequities you have either sent, seen, or experienced?


Micro-affirmations

• Positive micro-messages• Act as catalyst for unleashing potential and results• Inspire confidence• Enable stretch for higher goals

Question: What might a micro-affirmation look like?

Think of some micro-affirmations you have either sent, seen, or experienced?


An Inequitable Work Environment: Impact for Women in STEM Fields

• Lack of collegiality

• Lack of mentoring and support

• Lack of sharing information, esp. tacit information– informal networks don’t work well for faculty who are in

underrepresented groups• Isolation

– Described by senior women faculty of color as the single most important barrier for faculty of color

– Not being privy to the things required to be successful

Micro-inequities are more of a barrier to a truly inclusive culture than overt harassment or discrimination


Exercise

1. Share an example of a micro-inequity you’ve seen or experienced that bothered you.

2. Share an example of a micro-inequity you’ve sent to others.

3. What did you do in response to the micro-inequity (i.e., Did you speak about it directly to the person, stay silent, complain to others….)?


Micro-MessagingTRIGGERS


Our Triggers are Hardwired

The Familiar The Different

• Safe

• Known

• Given greater value

• Is rewarded

• Dangerous

• Alien

• Of lesser value

• Must be attacked


Our Triggers are Hardwired

The Familiar

• Safe

• Known

• Given greater value

• Is rewarded

The Different

• Dangerous

• Alien

• Of lesser value

• Must be attacked

We must learn to recognize our triggers if we are to take charge of our micro-messaging


Triggers to Consider

• Gender• Race• Looks, height, weight• Dress• Perceived sexual orientation• Perceived nationality• _______________________• _______________________

May be positive or negative

May be culturally determined


RECOGNIZING Micro-Inequities



Look


Micro-inequities often look like variances in:

• Body language

• Vocal Tone

• Vocabulary

• Eye contact

• Physical contact

• Access

• Questions and interactions

Look

Look for repeated patterns of these and other variances when people are interacting


Micro-Messaging Worksheet

• Micro-inequities • Micro-affirmations



Look Listen


• “I don’t feel welcome.”

• “I don’t feel supported.”

• “I don’t feel valued.”

• “My contributions are marginalized.”

• “I feel invisible.”

Listen

Micro-inequities translate into statements like:


Micro-Messaging Worksheet

• Micro-inequities • Micro-affirmations



Look Listen

Reflect


Notice your reactions…

• When am I listening?

• When am I shutting people out?

• Who am I including and excluding?

• Who am I encouraging and praising?

• Whose contributions am I taking for granted?

• Who do I consistently overlook?

Reflect


Recognizing Micro-Inequities

Worksheet based on Stephen Young, Microinequities: The Power of Small, 2008 Insight Education Systems

Micro-inequities I sent this time:

Micro-inequities I received:

Micro-inequities I observed:

Self-AssessmentMicro-affirmations I can send next time:

Strategies for taking action:

Strategies for intervening:

Self-Improvement


• Level 1: Comprehension of concepts and willingness to practice

• Level 2: Some fluency with concepts. Some practice with concepts and self-assessment. Any action taken is, generally, personally motivated.

• Level 3: Better recognition of micro-messaging, including identifying sender, recipient, and observers. Some practice with responding to micro-inequities.

• Level 4: Greater fluency in responding to micro-inequities. Working to influence positive “climate change.”

Are We There Yet?


Taking It Home

Practice:

• Engage in critical self-analysis

• Work toward aligning your intent and goals with your micro-messages. Identify one thing you will start and one thing you still stop

• Make a conscious effort to view your environment through the eyes of others


• Do I feel included, respected, valued?

• Which of my behaviors shut people out?

• Which of my behaviors encourage everyone’s participation?

• What can I do, large or small, to bring about affirming change?

• What can my work group do?

Please bring any questions, comments, observations, and notes from the exercises to the next session

Taking It Home


Practice:

• Pair up with someone. Take three minutes as a speaker. The speaker will communicate to the listener three things that he/she did last week. The listener will send as many negative micro-messages as they can in three minutes.– List the micro-messages you observed– List possible micro-affirmations to use next time, if

applicable.

• Repeat the exercise, this time sending micro-affirmations for three minutes. List what you observe.

Taking It Home


Recognizing Micro-Inequities*

* Worksheet based on Stephen Young, Microinequities: The Power of Small, 2008 Insight Education Systems

Micro-inequities I sent this time:

Micro-inequities I received:

Micro-inequities I observed:

Self-AssessmentMicro-affirmations I can send next time:

Strategies for taking action:

Strategies for intervening:

Self-Improvement


In Summary

Effects of Micro-inequities for women in STEM…

• Decrease in speaking/sharing ideas

• Decrease in taking risks

• Decrease in productivity

• Increase in discrimination complaints

• Poor retention and recruitment

• High turnover


What You Can Do Right NowMicro-messages have a profound impact on

how we relate with one another

• Use your increased awareness to recognize and understand the triggers for micro-inequities that women in STEM fields experience everyday.

• Begin to think about how micro-messaging impacts the women in STEM fields that you encounter.


Next Time

• Review and report outs

• Responding to micro-inequities

• Tools for continued development

• Seeding positive experiences for women in STEM fields


“subtle micro-messages impact the success of women and girls in stem” funded by a grant from the...

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