The surprising neuroscience of gender inequality | Janet Crawford | TEDxSanDiego

Summary

The speaker shares a personal story about encountering a young woman who defied stereotypes, leading into a broader discussion about unconscious gender bias. Drawing from personal experience and studies, she highlights the persistence of sexism and the subtle yet powerful ways biases shape perceptions and behaviors. The talk emphasizes that bias is universal and unconscious, urging both men and women to recognize and challenge these biases to foster gender equity. The call to action is for everyone to become aware of their environment and to actively engage in conversations that can bring change.

Takeaways

• 😊 Gender bias is unconscious and impacts both men and women, leading people to act in ways that maintain the status quo without realizing it.
• 🎓 The speaker faced sexism during her time studying science at UC Berkeley in the 1980s, and young female scientists today still face similar challenges.
• 📉 Women make up 51% of the population but are underrepresented in leadership roles, with only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs being women and 18% of Congress members being female.
• 📊 The Implicit Association Test shows that most people, regardless of gender, have unconscious biases associating men with leadership and strength and women with nurturing and fragility.
• 💻 Media and societal depictions contribute to the reinforcement of gender stereotypes and bias, influencing perceptions of who belongs in certain roles and fields.
• 👮 Studies show that unconscious bias affects hiring decisions, with male candidates being preferred for traditionally male roles, even when women are equally qualified.
• 🏫 Classroom environments influence female students' interest in fields like computer science, with traditionally 'nerdy' decor discouraging women more than neutral settings.
• 👩‍🔬 Women in male-dominated fields, such as technology, often have their ideas overlooked or second-guessed, but calling out these biases can be career-limiting.
• 🤝 Gender equity is not solely a women's issue; men also benefit from breaking traditional gender norms, and both genders should work together to change limiting narratives.
• 🔍 The solution to unconscious bias lies in becoming more aware of it, observing environments, engaging in conversations, and making efforts to change biased situations together.

Q & A

What was the speaker's reaction to seeing a young woman reading a book at the airport?

The speaker was surprised and found it ironic when the young woman, who appeared to conform to certain stereotypes with her heavy makeup and gaudy belly piercing, was engrossed in reading 'Fundamentals of Angel Investing.' This led the speaker to reflect on the concept of 'bias.'

What was the speaker's experience studying at UC Berkeley in the 1980s?

The speaker graduated from UC Berkeley in 1984 with a science degree and encountered frequent and undeniable sexism while studying. Despite these challenges, it was also a time of optimism and celebration for women as they were entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers.

Why does the speaker find the ongoing conversation about gender inequity disheartening?

The speaker is frustrated that, 30 years later, the conversation about gender inequity remains largely the same. Despite progress, young women today still face similar challenges to those experienced decades ago, including a persistent pay gap and a lack of women in leadership roles.

What percentage of Fortune 500 CEOs and U.S. Congress members are women, according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and 18% of Congress members are female.

What role do unconscious gender biases play in perpetuating inequity?

Unconscious gender biases, held by both men and women, lead people to make decisions that perpetuate the status quo without realizing it. These biases are deeply ingrained in the brain’s associative processes and influence judgments and behaviors in subtle ways.

How does the brain contribute to unconscious bias, according to the speaker?

The brain processes vast amounts of information by creating unconscious associations based on repeating patterns in the environment. While these patterns are useful for decision-making, they often perpetuate stereotypes and biases because the brain does not evaluate the fairness or accuracy of the associations it stores.

What is the Implicit Association Test (IAT), and what does it reveal about gender bias?

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures unconscious associations by asking people to pair certain words with images of men or women. The test has revealed that most people, regardless of gender or political orientation, more easily associate traits like 'leader' and 'strong' with men, and 'nurturing' and 'emotional' with women, indicating widespread gender bias.

How do media and social representations contribute to gender bias?

Media and social representations reinforce gender bias by perpetuating stereotypical images and narratives. For example, search results for 'female executive' often show unrealistic or biased images, and media outlets like Fortune have published articles implying that attractive women may not be credible leaders, which influences unconscious biases about who belongs in leadership roles.

How do unconscious biases affect professional opportunities and career choices for women?

Unconscious biases often lead people to favor male candidates in traditionally male-dominated roles, such as leadership positions. These biases also influence women’s career choices, as studies show that female students in environments with stereotypically male decor, such as video games and comic books, are less likely to pursue fields like computer science.

What solution does the speaker propose to address unconscious gender bias?

The speaker suggests that individuals should become keen observers of their environment and make it a daily practice to notice and discuss biases without judgment. By acknowledging and addressing these biases, people can create more equitable environments and foster change in the narrative of what it means to be a man or a woman.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Overcoming Bias: A Personal Story

The speaker shares a personal story about encountering a young, heavily made-up woman reading a book on angel investing at the airport. This moment highlights the theme of bias. The speaker recounts her experiences as a female science graduate at UC Berkeley in 1984, facing blatant sexism. She reflects on the progress and ongoing challenges for women in the workforce, noting that despite advances, there remains a substantial gender pay gap and underrepresentation of women in leadership. This sets the stage for the discussion on unconscious bias and its pervasive role in perpetuating inequality.

05:02

🧠 Understanding Unconscious Bias

The speaker introduces the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as a tool for measuring unconscious bias, particularly regarding gender. It reveals that both men and women, regardless of political orientation, tend to associate men with leadership and strength, and women with nurturing and fragility. The speaker explains that unconscious associations form from repeated patterns in our environment. These biases are stored in our brains and affect our perceptions and decisions, often without us realizing it. The section emphasizes that bias is universal and deeply ingrained in our subconscious, influencing everyday actions and perceptions.

10:05

🔍 Bias in Media and Society

The speaker delves into how media and societal imagery reinforce unconscious biases. A search for female executives, for example, yields troubling and stereotypical images, influencing perceptions of women in leadership. She highlights examples of bias in professional settings, such as a study showing that male candidates are often favored for leadership roles, even when gender-blind evaluations initially prioritize qualifications. Bias also influences life choices, such as a study showing how classroom decor affects women’s interest in computer science. The speaker emphasizes that these biases are pervasive, subtly shaping our actions, decisions, and views on competence and leadership.

👥 Gender Equity: A Shared Responsibility

In the final paragraph, the speaker stresses that gender equity is not just a women’s issue, but a human one. Both men and women must challenge limiting gender narratives. She points out that associating masculinity with aggression and dominance dishonors many men who don't embody those traits. Legislation alone cannot solve unconscious bias, and focusing solely on overt sexism misses the point. Instead, individuals must become aware of their environments and biases, engage in open discussions, and take action to foster change. The speaker calls for collective responsibility, urging both genders to work together toward a more equitable society.

Keywords

💡Bias

Bias refers to the unconscious preferences or prejudices that individuals hold, often without being aware of them. In the video, the speaker discusses how gender bias affects perceptions and decisions, such as preferring male applicants over female ones in job applications. The central message is that both men and women harbor unconscious biases, which perpetuate inequality, even when they don’t intend to.

💡Gender inequity

Gender inequity refers to the unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. The video highlights ongoing disparities, such as the pay gap, the small percentage of women in leadership roles, and the underrepresentation of women in media and politics. The speaker reflects on how, despite progress over the decades, gender inequity still remains pervasive in society.

💡Implicit Association Test (IAT)

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a psychological tool used to measure unconscious biases by asking participants to quickly associate certain words with images of men or women. The speaker refers to this test as evidence that many people, regardless of their gender or political views, hold biases that associate leadership and strength with men, and nurturing qualities with women.

💡Unconscious associations

Unconscious associations are the connections our brains make between concepts, people, or ideas without us being fully aware of them. In the video, the speaker describes how these associations shape our perceptions and decisions, contributing to stereotypes and biases, such as associating men with leadership and women with nurturing roles. These associations are formed from repeated patterns in our environments.

💡Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is referenced as a professional environment where gender bias is prevalent. It’s used as an example of a field where women are still underrepresented, and the speaker illustrates this by describing experiences of being the only woman in technology teams, where her ideas might be overlooked or second-guessed. This highlights the gender disparity in industries traditionally dominated by men.

💡Sexism

Sexism is discrimination or prejudice based on gender, often against women. The speaker recalls personal experiences with sexism during her time studying at UC Berkeley, where she faced frequent and undeniable instances of it. Despite the progress made since then, sexism continues to manifest in professional and social contexts, often in more subtle, unconscious ways.

💡Stereotypes

Stereotypes are oversimplified and fixed ideas about a particular group of people. In the video, the speaker addresses gender stereotypes, such as associating men with strength and leadership and women with emotions and nurturing. These stereotypes, shaped by media and societal influences, reinforce gender bias and limit both men’s and women’s potential roles in society.

💡Leadership

Leadership is often unconsciously associated with masculinity, as discussed in the video. The speaker points out that characteristics such as strength, assertiveness, and taking up space are often seen as essential for leadership, which disadvantages women, who are not traditionally associated with these traits. This bias influences hiring decisions and career advancement for women.

💡Media representation

Media representation refers to how different groups, particularly women, are portrayed in media. The speaker explains that the underrepresentation and often stereotypical portrayal of women in media reinforce societal biases. For instance, the example of Marissa Mayer being described as 'the real deal' by a magazine suggests that women, particularly those who are attractive, are often questioned for their competence.

💡Gender roles

Gender roles are societal expectations about how men and women should behave. The speaker emphasizes how these roles are limiting, with men expected to be strong and assertive and women seen as nurturing and emotional. These roles are perpetuated unconsciously by society, media, and even personal interactions, impacting life choices, career paths, and leadership opportunities for both genders.

Highlights

The speaker shares a surprising personal anecdote about observing a young woman engrossed in a book about investing, which challenges common stereotypes and biases.

The speaker addresses gender bias by reflecting on her personal experiences with sexism while studying at UC Berkeley in the 1980s.

Despite progress for women over the decades, gender inequality persists, with women underrepresented in leadership roles such as Fortune 500 CEOs and congressional seats.

Implicit bias exists in all of us, both men and women, and influences behavior in ways that we often aren't aware of.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) reveals that most people, regardless of gender or political orientation, associate leadership and strength with men and nurturing with women.

Biases are shaped by the environment, as demonstrated by a Yale study showing that both men and women preferred male candidates for police chief positions when names were attached to resumes.

A University of Washington study shows how classroom decor affects women's interest in computer science, revealing how subtle environmental cues can influence career choices.

Bias can manifest in various everyday situations, such as how we assume who is responsible for domestic chores or whose opinions we value more.

Women in male-dominated industries often face their contributions being overlooked or second-guessed, but speaking out about it can be career-limiting.

The speaker emphasizes that gender equity is not just a women's issue—men benefit from more inclusive definitions of masculinity that move beyond money, muscles, and aggression.

The speaker argues that no single piece of legislation or mandatory training will solve unconscious bias; rather, we must all acknowledge our biases and commit to change.

The call to action includes becoming more observant of the environments we create, and to use these observations to spark meaningful conversations about bias.

Men are encouraged to take an active role in addressing gender bias, alongside women, to create a more equitable society.

The speaker advocates for a shift in the conversation from blame and shame to committed action and shared responsibility.

The talk ends with an appeal to change limiting narratives around gender, and for everyone to contribute to creating a solution.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Noppakao "Angel" Leelasorn Reviewer: Elisabeth Buffard

Wow, look at you all!

So I was waiting for my flight 2 days ago

at San Francisco International Airport

and sitting directly across from me

was a young attractive woman.

She wore heavy makeup and she had long, lacquered nails

and a skimpy top that was riding up just enough to reveal

a pretty, gaudy belly piercing.

So I had a shock of surprise when she stood up to board her flight

and I thought the title of the book that she had been engrossed in all this time:

"Fundamentals of Angel Investing"

So this was deliciously ironic for me because my topic is "bias".

I graduated with a science degree from UC Berkeley in 1984.

And it was hard studying science at Berkeley

and it wasn't just because of the content

I was the target of frequent, undeniable, in-my-face sexism.

But this was also a time of celebration and optimism for women

We were the first generation in history

where female college graduates outnumbered males.

We were flooding into the marketplace at unprecedented numbers

and into fields where before we had little to no representation.

And we naively thought that our generation

would be the one to make gender inequity a thing of the past.

But here we are, it's 30 years later

and the conversation remains much the same

Young female scientists tell me stories

that are heartbreakingly similar to those early experiences:

we still have a substantial pay gap

and shockingly few women at the top.

Only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and 18% of congress.

Oddly, we are 51% of the population,

yet occupy only 15% of lead roles in movies.

And my world, Silicon Valley, is one of the few places

where you might encounter this scene,

at a major conference during the bathroom break.

(Laughter)

So, as a woman, I find it disheartening

and angering, and really frankly boring to still be on this conversation.

And I imagine as a man, it gets old

having a finger always pointing back at you.

The tolerance for this conversation is wearing thin.

And this is nowhere more evident than in the insult-laden, often vulgar

and sometimes violent comment streams accompanying any online discussion

of a gender-related issue.

But these conversations leave out

a powerful and invisible actor in our story.

All of us, male and female, are unconsciously gender-biased.

And these biases lead well-meaning men and women to do things

that perpetuate the status quo without our ever knowing it.

So in telling this society, we can get our arms around this phenomenon,

we are unwitting accomplices

in the perpetuation of inequity and discrimination.

So let's take a look at the brain processes

that drive by us, how it shows up,

and most importantly whether there are some things that we can do about it.

Most people think that they move through their day

making their decisions with a conscious and rational process of deliberation.

And by this logic, it's difficult to do something

that's out of keeping with your values without knowing that you've done so.

But actually conscious decision-making represents

a tiny, tiny fraction of what goes on in your brain.

You couldn't possibly take in the oncoming barrage of information,

moment to moment,

process it and formulate a response to it

with this part of the brain alone. It needs help.

And what it calls on is a vast reservoir

of unconsciously stored associations.

You see, as you move through your day,

outside of your awareness,

your brain is always scanning for repeating patterns.

And when it finds them, it stores them

as the way things are or ought to be.

But the problem with this process,

which actually works well most of the time,

is that your brain is also not differentiating around the utility

or the fairness, or the accuracy of what the environment is serving up.

If it's associated out there, it's likely to become associated in here.

And it is these associations that we use to make meaning of the world

into formulate our response to it.

Now, we can measure unconscious associations quite easily

with an elegant and simple instrument called the Implicit Association Test.

Quite simply, for gender, all it does is ask you to associate certain words

with the image of a man or a woman.

And when those requested associations

match your unconscious associations,

you're going to be able to do these tasks more quickly and with fewer errors.

So most people in the population, as it turns out, male or female,

regardless of political orientation,

have an easier time associating words like

"leader", "strong", "protective" toward men,

and "nurturing", "emotional" and "fragile" toward women.

16 million people have taken the Implicit Association Tests to date

and the results are clear:

if you grew up here in the US, or for that matter, most parts of the world,

you likely have a significant degree of gender bias.

Okay, so where did those biases come from?

I mean, where are all these associations hanging out?

Well, just do a search on the internet for any profession

and add the modifier "male" or "female" in front of it

and see what comes up.

In this case, the search was on female executive

and as strange as the second image is, (Laughter)

the most troubling one for me personally at my age is the last one

because the subheading is "Aged female executive" (Laughter)

It comes from the things we were seeing from social media, in this case,

a recommendation of the top minds and big ideas that I should be following.

There are 22 images and only two of them are female.

It shows up in the notoriously lopsided gender ratios

at professional conferences.

And even the backgrounds tell a story.

It also shows up in headlines.

In this case, Fortune magazine felt it necessary to reassure us

that Marissa Mayer is the real deal.

Because as a blonde, attractive, young woman,

we might assume she wasn't.

So media is not benign,

because it is this sort of imagery

that our brains use unconsciously

in our calculations of who belongs where

and what competence looks like.

A Yale University study looked at bias

in the hiring for the traditionally male role of police chief.

And in this study, purportedly gender-blind participants

were asked to review two applications.

Now, when no names were attached, they overwhelmingly preferred

the application that had more education.

But when a male or female name was attached,

they overwhelmingly preferred the application with a male name.

This sort of result has been replicated in numerous other academic studies.

But these unconscious biases don't just cause discrimination,

they also influence our life choices.

A University of Washington study recently looked at the effect of classroom decor

on the choice of academic discipline.

So researchers decorated two classrooms,

one of them had kind of traditionally nerdy, male paraphernalia in it,

like Star Trek posters and comic books and video games.

And the other one had neutral objects,

like coffee cups, plants and art posters.

What they found was that female college students who spent time

in this traditionally nerdy classroom exhibited a markedly lower preference

for computer science as a field

than the females who spent time in the neutral room.

But for males, it made no difference whatsoever.

When you really look, this kind of bias shows up everywhere.

It's in what we choose to share with whom and whose opinion we seek.

It infects our assumption about who should do domestic chores

and who deserves the praise for doing so. (Laughter)

It shows up... yeah, (Laughs)

it shows up, for that lone female on a technology team

when her recommendations are disproportionately overlooked

or second-guessed, but she can't say anything about this.

And the phenomenon will likely remain invisible to her male colleagues.

Why? Because to do so is potentially career limiting.

It marks her out as "that woman".

You know, the one that plays the gender card.

So it shows up everywhere.

It shows up in our definitions of leadership,

and when vulnerability, and sharing credit are seen as weak,

and when taking up space and personal ambition are seen as strong.

Gender equity is not a woman's issue.

We need women to fully participate in the conversations

that shape the future of the world.

But it's not just women who benefit, men benefit too.

Because when we associate masculinity with money,

muscles, domination and aggression, we dishonor legions of good men

who do not embody these characteristics.

No piece of legislation or mandatory sexual harassment training

or quota will get rid of unconscious bias.

These things are neccessary.

But when we focus only on overt sexism, we miss the point

and worse yet, we allow ourselves to point our finger

at a hypothetical bad guy out there.

But when we allow ourselves to understand that we're biased too,

we're able to transform this conversation

from one of blame and shame to one of committed action.

Believing in gender equity is not enough.

We are the creators and the consumers

of the environments that drive by us.

So what can we do about it?

There's actually a fairly simple solution,

and that is to commit yourself to becoming

a good observer of your environment.

Make it a daily practice, and if you need to remind yourself.

In fact, you might even notice something today

as a result of the last 10 minutes we've spent together.

But if you do, don't judge it, because we all do it.

Don't judge it, engage with other people.

Get curious, and use it to fuel an exploration.

When you see bias, or the environments that drive it,

say something, talk about it,

and where you can, change it.

And this is for the men in the audience.

Women can't and shouldn't take this one on by ourselves.

We need you to pick up the mantle alongside us.

So let's help each other.

Let's help each other change these limiting narratives

of what it means to be a man or a woman.

Because nobody here is to blame for this problem,

but we are all, together, responsible for a solution.

Thank you. (Applause)

(Applause)