What it Means to be a Woman in STEM

As STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) has grown in influence in US higher education, it has also become apparent that STEM is dominated by men.  Women are encouraged to enter these fields, but often change their majors before graduation. Why does this happen?  Using Feminist Standpoint Theory and Black Feminist Theory for context, my thesis examines the male dominated environment of STEM in higher education to evaluate why women leave the field. My own experience as a physics major is central to my analysis as I notice the behaviors of myself, my classmates, and my professors.  Examining my experience through the lens of these literatures, I suggest individual strategies for survival as I simultaneously argue that the problems are systemic.