Skip to content

The Impact of Popular Culture on Gender Roles and Women’s Participation in STEM and Business

  • by

1. Introduction

The 4EQUALITY project tackles the serious challenge faced by young women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and business fields. Despite strong investment in education and skills development aligned with labor market needs, many women encounter barriers when seeking jobs that match their competencies.

While policy reforms and educational initiatives are fundamental, the impact of popular culture on shaping perceptions and aspirations must not be underestimated. Television, film, music, and social media serve as powerful vehicles for constructing and perpetuating gender roles, influencing how young women view their potential careers and place in these industries. This article explores how popular culture affects gender norms related to STEM and business careers, with a focus on media portrayals of women scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and discusses how the 4EQUALITY project can incorporate these insights to foster cultural as well as educational change.

2. Popular Culture and the Construction of Gender Roles in STEM and Business

From early childhood through adolescence and into adulthood, individuals absorb cultural narratives about gender roles that deeply influence their identities, ambitions, and career choices. Popular culture is a central arena where these narratives are created, reinforced, or challenged.

Music: The Gendered Messages in Lyrics and Representation

In mainstream music, women have traditionally been portrayed in roles emphasizing appearance, emotion, and relationships, while men are more often depicted as powerful, autonomous leaders or innovators. Music videos and lyrics frequently reinforce gender stereotypes:

  • Female artists are often sexualized or confined to romantic or caregiving roles.
  • Male artists typically present themselves as agents of change, wealth, or authority.

Film and Television: Visual and Narrative Influence

Visual media such as films and TV series offer potent narratives and imagery that define who is “fit” for STEM and business roles. Despite progress, many portrayals remain rooted in stereotypes:

  • Men dominate the screen as confident, heroic problem-solvers and leaders
  • When present, female characters may be romantic interests, comedic foils, or portrayed as struggling to balance career and family life.
  • Women scientists are often absent or relegated to secondary roles.

These portrayals influence both public perception and self-perception, shaping young women’s ambitions and beliefs about their belonging in STEM and business.

3. The Complexity of Media Portrayals: Comedy, Stereotypes, and the Role of Humor

Media portrayals of women in STEM and business are not simply reflections of reality — they are constructive forces that shape cultural understanding and social expectations. Comedy, in particular, wields a unique kind of influence. It can either challenge norms through satire and subversion or reinforce them under the guise of harmless entertainment. The portrayal of women in STEM in comedic television and film often walks a fine line between empowerment and regression, making it a key site of cultural analysis for gender representation.

3.1 Ironic Sexism and “The Laugh Track Trap”

One of the most pervasive issues in comedic portrayals of women in STEM is the use of ironic sexism — jokes that appear to mock sexist attitudes but ultimately reinforce them by relying on audiences’ familiarity with those stereotypes. The presence of laugh tracks or exaggerated reactions tells viewers what is meant to be funny, subtly validating outdated ideas.

For example, many female STEM characters are portrayed in ways that undermine their expertise:

  • Much of their screen time centers on their relationships, appearance, or social awkwardness.
  • When they express intellectual ideas, they are often received with condescending remarks or used as punchlines.
  • Their professional competence is frequently overshadowed by her role as a wife and mother.

3.2 The “Career vs. Personal Life” Trope

Another recurring theme in comedy is the idea that women must choose between a fulfilling career and a satisfying personal life. This trope persists across many genres but is especially prominent in sitcoms and romantic comedies. The tension is often framed humorously, but the implication remains: STEM careers are incompatible with womanhood, motherhood, or romance.

This narrative setup undermines the complexity of real women who navigate both demanding careers and personal lives. Rather than offering nuanced portrayals, comedy often simplifies these tensions into one-dimensional jokes, reinforcing the myth that professional success comes at the cost of personal happiness.

3.3 The “Exception” or “Token Woman” Narrative

In many comedies, women in STEM are portrayed as exceptions in male-dominated spaces. While this reflects real-world demographics, it risks normalizing the idea that women are anomalies in STEM rather than integral contributors. It also sets up a narrative where women are constantly fighting for legitimacy.

This approach does little to normalize gender diversity. Instead, it amplifies the sense of isolation and “otherness” that many real-life women in STEM report, an experience well documented in the 4EQUALITY project’s own field research.

3.4 Repetition and Normalization: The Power of Stereotypes on Screen

One of the most powerful ways media shapes public perceptions is through repetition. When stereotypes about women in STEM are consistently portrayed in television, film, or on social media, they become normalized and absorbed into the collective imagination as if they were universal truths.

  • If most comedic portrayals show women scientists as socially awkward, emotionally unstable, or the butt of jokes, audiences begin to internalize these traits as typical or expected.
  • When female characters in leadership roles in science or tech are depicted as incompetent, neurotic, or incapable of balancing personal and professional life, it reinforces the belief that women don’t naturally belong in these fields.

This kind of normalization has real-world consequences. As documented by  4EQUALITY project, many young women who have studied STEM or business still face prejudice, discrimination, and a lack of recognition in the workplace, despite being well-qualified. These barriers are not only rooted in institutional policies or hiring practices, but also in deeply ingrained cultural beliefs, many of which are shaped by fiction.

To change reality, we must also change the stories we tell and consume. Regularly showcasing competent, creative, and respected women in scientific and technical fields isn’t just about representation, it’s a strategic tool for social transformation.

4. Paths for Change: How to Improve the Representation of Women in STEM in Popular Culture

As this analysis has shown, popular culture can reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, but it also has the power to transform them. Achieving meaningful change requires a more intentional, collaborative approach that involves content creators, educators, institutions, and communication platforms. Here are some concrete proposals:

  • Media and entertainment should create realistic female STEM characters and avoid reinforcing stereotypes through sexist humor or reductive roles.
  • Education systems should use positive media examples to inspire students, teach media literacy, and involve real women scientists as role models.
  • Institutions and society must support initiatives like 4EQUALITY, fund research on media impact, and build partnerships to promote inclusive, empowering narratives.

By coordinating efforts between content creators, educators, and policymakers, we can reshape cultural narratives and encourage more young women to pursue and thrive in STEM careers.

5. Conclusions: Stories That Transform

Representation matters, not only because media reflects reality, but because it also shapes, reinforces, and sometimes limits it. For women in STEM, popular culture has long presented a contradictory image: invisibility, caricature, romantic idealization, or exceptionalism.

The 4EQUALITY project exists to support young women who still face structural and cultural barriers when pursuing careers in male-dominated fields like science, technology, and business. Understanding how popular culture helps construct ideas of talent, leadership, and belonging is crucial in dismantling those barriers.

In the end, changing the stories we tell is part of changing the world. And every story counts.

6. References

Frontiers in Psychology (2017). Adolescent Girls’ STEM Identity Formation and Media Images of STEM Professionals. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00716/full

Hancock, N. (2018, November 20). From Scully to Shuri: how pop culture is powering girls’ interest in STEM. create Digital. Retrieved from https://createdigital.org.au/scully-shuri-pop-culture-girls-interest-stem/

Steinke, J. (2022). The role of media professionals in perpetuating and disrupting stereotypes of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2022.1027502/full

The Australian National University. (13 March 2025). Pop culture portrayals of women in STEM are no laughing matter. ANU College of Systems & Society. Retrieved from https://reporter.anu.edu.au/all-stories/pop-culture-portrayals-of-women-in-stem-are-no-laughing-matter