WHAT DO STEM CLUBS DO? THE EFFECT OF COLLEGE CLUB PARTICIPATION ON CAREER CONFIDENCE AND MODERN SEXISM
Guillermo Dominguez1, Jennifer Glass2
1Linksbridge SPC, 808 5th Avenue N, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
|April 22, 2026
Summary
STEM's "chilly climate" affects minoritized students. College STEM clubs influence attitudes toward women's inclusion, but some subgroups of men show increased sexism, with no impact on career confidence.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Science
- Higher Education Studies
- Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
Background:
- The STEM labor force faces diversity challenges, with minoritized students leaving faster than their peers.
- Existing theories attribute this attrition to unwelcoming work environments (demand-side) or lack of confidence (supply-side).
- Educational experiences, including extracurricular activities, are proposed to shape both career pursuit and workplace climate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of STEM college clubs in shaping students' attitudes towards women's inclusion in the STEM workforce.
- To examine how involvement in different types of STEM clubs (honorific vs. affinity) impacts sexist attitudes.
- To determine if club involvement affects students' confidence in pursuing STEM careers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from two large U.S. universities.
- Conducted an intersectional analysis of student involvement in STEM honorific and affinity clubs.
- Examined associations between club involvement and sexist attitudes, considering race, gender, and field of study.
Main Results:
- Involvement in STEM clubs generally correlates with decreased sexist attitudes for most student groups.
- An intersectional analysis revealed that club type and student demographics (race, gender, field) modify this association.
- Specific subgroups of men showed increased hostile sexism with club involvement.
- Club involvement did not significantly affect members' career confidence, failing to reduce gender disparities.
Conclusions:
- STEM college clubs act as significant sites for cultural capital development, influencing attitudes on gender inclusion.
- The "hidden curriculum" of extracurricular STEM activities requires closer examination due to varied impacts on sexism.
- Current extracurricular structures do not appear to mitigate gender disparities in career confidence within STEM.
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