Blinded to science: gender differences in the effects of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on academic and science attitudes among sixth graders Brea L. Perry a* , Tanja Link b , Christina Boelter c and Carl Leukefeld c a Department of Sociology, University of Kentucky, 1515 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY 40506, USA; b Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA; c Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA (Received 19 January 2012; final version received 29 March 2012) Little research has examined whether the effects of race or socioeconomic status (SES) on educational attitudes differ by gender, limiting knowledge of unique vulnerabilities occurring at the intersection of multiple social statuses. Using data from 182 sixth-graders, interactions between gender, race/ethnicity, and SES in predicting educational aspirations, persistence, views of science, and educational self-efficacy are examined. African American and Latino boys express more negative attitudes relative to (1) higher-SES boys, (2) White boys, and (3) girls of any race/ethnicity or level of SES. The intersection of multiple inequalities in education across the early life course is discussed. Keywords: social theory; sociology; social class; boys; girls; race and ethnicities Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are an area of signifi- cant growth with potential to reduce gender and racial gaps in income and occupational prestige. However, while the professional demand for individuals who are scientifically literate increases (Parker and Gerber 2000), the pool of qualified young women and people of colour who pursue graduate education in science and enter related fields remains very small (NSF 2011; Stake and Nickens 2005). Because the underrepresen- tation of women and racial/ethnic minorities in STEM fields reflects underuse of valu- able human resources, it has been a major concern of policy-makers, academics, and industry leaders (Ong et al. 2011; Simard 2009). Underrepresentation of women and students of colour in STEM careers is the product of a stratified American educational system that shapes academic and career choices long before students arrive on a college campus. As noted by African American astronaut and engineer Dr Mae C. Jemison, ‘All children have an innate interest in science and the world around them, but for many children that interest hits roadblocks along an academic system that is still not blind to gender or color’. Recent studies suggest that about 60% of individuals in STEM fields report being interested in science by age 11 (Bayer Corporation 2010). Yet, despite early interest (Ong et al. 2011), over three-fourths of women of colour working in these fields indicate that ISSN 0954-0253 print/ISSN 1360-0516 online # 2012 Taylor & Francis http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2012.685702 http://www.tandfonline.com * Corresponding author. Email: breaperry@uky.edu Gender and Education 2012, 1–19, iFirst Article Downloaded by [University of Kentucky] at 08:12 30 May 2012