Gender Representations of Scientists

Images of scientists in the mass media are a major source of information for popular views of scientists. People are much more likely to see scientists on television and in films or read about scientists in newspapers and magazines than they are to have direct interactions with actual working scientists. Subse quently, the ways in which scientists are portrayed in the mass media often leave lasting impressions on people's views of science and scientists. Media images of scientists, particularly those found in television programming, have been found to be one of the primary sources of information about scientists for adults as well as for children and adolescents.

Gender representations of scientists in the mass media convey and reinforce cultural beliefs and expectations about scientists that influence ...