Science, Technology, and Sexual Harassment: An Exploration of STEM Culture and Climate on the Prevention, Handling, and Addressing of Sexual Harassment in a University Setting

Abstract

Sexual harassment continues to be a pervasive problem in American workplaces, universities, and the military. While sexual harassment has been widely studied across a variety of fields, sociologists have yet to investigate how sexual harassment (SH) is handled, prevented, and addressed in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) graduate programs. This study seeks to understand the cultural factors that contribute to how SH is viewed in STEM graduate programs at Texas A&M University, using exit interviews. In doing so, this study addresses a gap in sociology and challenges the way sexual harassment is studied. This research shifts the focus on sexual harassment from a problem of individuals to one of culture. The findings of this research also have broader implications for the creation and implementation of sexual harassment prevention measures in a variety of organizations.