Unpacking the Mystique of STEM

Respondents stated they would like to see more science and engineering characters or storylines on Australian TV.

Project Team:

Concerned by the lack of scientists and engineers represented across film and television, Sarah Summers and Clare Ferguson set out to understand why this problem exists and identify possible approaches to increase the number of science and engineering characters and storylines, including the way they are portrayed, across our screens.

Research indicates just 4% of characters in top-grossing films and primetime TV shows have careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) professions (source: Smith, S, Choueiti, M, Prescott, A, & Pieper, K, (2013), Gender Roles & Occupations: A Look at Character Attributes and Job-Related Aspirations in Film and Television, An Executive Report for Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media). Of these, only 0.7% are female STEM characters. Furthermore, when STEM characters are portrayed, it is often through stereotypes, such as geeks to laugh at or people with perceived unattainable genius. Our concerns are supported by a range of additional research, however, we wanted to better understand whether there is an interest in improving the portrayal of science and engineering on screen and how this might be approached. For the project, we decided to conduct market research exploring the hypothesis that “science and engineering should be better represented in Australian TV shows”.

Through an online survey, we asked scientists, engineers, and members of the general public if they thought there was a lack of representation, their thoughts on why, and whether they wanted to see this changed. We also sought input from people within the film and TV industry to understand how storylines and characters are developed and potential barriers to science and engineering professions being more widely featured. Our findings came out in favour of our hypothesis with survey respondents stating they would like to see more science and engineering characters or storylines on Australian TV, however representatives from the film and TV industry indicated there may be barriers surrounding the ease of portraying these industries, including concerns regarding low appetite from audiences and the industry.

The project identified some insights to guide the next steps to improving the portrayal of engineers and scientists in Australian television, which Sarah and Clare are currently reflecting on to decide the next course of action.