Socialization to Science: Using Media to Help Young People in the United States Consider a Career in a STEM-related Field

ABSTRACT

Vocational anticipatory socialization (VAS) is a multi-year, multi-step process that begins in childhood and informs young adults about possibilities for their future work-life experience. This manuscript describes two field experiments that examine media as a VAS socialization source through an investigation of the impact of a televised STEM program geared to elementary school children between the ages of 8 and 14. Additionally, the gender of the television host was manipulated to examine the effect of host gender on increasing interest in STEM. A pretest/posttest design measured attitudes and interest changes in STEM and STEM careers following media viewing. The findings demonstrate that media acts as a socialization agent and can increase a child’s interest in STEM. Parental influence and gender differences are also discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Vocational anticipatory socialization
• children and media
• organizational communication
• career development
• stem
• parental encouragement

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Four snow days interrupted the originally planned Time 3 posttest dates for district “B.” The posttest data for district A was completed one week following the experimental induction.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by WKAR and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University

Notes on contributors

Kenneth J. Levine

Kenneth J. Levine (Ph.D, – Michigan State University) is a faculty member in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University.

Vernon D. Miller

Vernon D. Miller (Ph.D. – University of Texas, Austin) is a Professor in the Department of Communication and the Department of Management at Michigan State University.

Elizabeth Taylor Quilliam

Elizabeth Taylor Quilliam (Ph.D – Michigan State University) is a retired professor in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations at Michigan State University.

Anna R. McAlister

Anna R. McAlister (Ph.D – University of Queensland, Australia) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations at Michigan State University.

Melinda R. Aley

Melinda R. Aley (M.A. – Michigan State University) is a Communication PhD student at Michigan State University.