Formation Process of Stereotypical Views of the Sciences and Humanities

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine how stereotypical views of the sciences and humanities are formed among university students. Thirty undergraduate or graduated students were semi-structurally interviewed, and the collected data were analyzed by the modified grounded-theory approach (M-GTA). The analysis revealed that, prior to the formation of stereotypical views, students first recognized their aptitudes for one of two categories: sciences or humanities. Once they established their aptitudes, they started to recognize those who were in the opposite category. When they encountered “ideal figures” in such categories, they unconsciously extracted some features and regarded them as common features shared among those in such categories. These common characteristics were further interpreted based on their own views and beliefs, which essentially led to forming stereotypical views. This study suggests that the stereotypical views of the sciences and humanities are not universal; they are gradually formed in parallel with students’ constant struggle to navigate themselves during countless decisions for academic and career planning.