Karen Bradley
Dr. Karen Bradley, associate professor of sociology, has done extensive research examining how gender influences educational choices. She is the coauthor, with Dr. Maria Charles, sociology professor at the University of California, San Diego, of a recent study examining higher education degrees awarded in 21 industrialized nations. Their study, which showed that women were consistently underrepresented in math and science, was presented in 2005 at the 100th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association and has received international attention. Bradley is the recipient of an Outstanding International Study of the Year Award for research relating to gender parity in education.
Why Women Are Underrepresented in Math and Science
Commonly held beliefs about gender preferences and abilities strongly influence women’s choices of college majors and careers and present obstacles for entry into advanced math and science study. This influence is particularly consequential during the middle and secondary school years when students are actively forming their gender-based identities. Karen Bradley discusses research surrounding these issues as well as her collaborative work examining women’s underrepresentation in math and math-based scientific fields within colleges and universities in a wide range of countries.
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