Faculty Focus: Kathleen Fuegen
Northern Kentucky’s community benefits from the presence of great professors and in speaking with Kathleen Fuegen, it is clear why. She discussed her ongoing research about gender stereotypes and the blatant facts that support its prevalence. Dr. Fuegen is currently a professor in NKU’s Psychology Department where she continues her remarkable research. She relishes the opportunity to increase awareness on the topics of gender and race discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere.
During the interview, Kathleen spoke about a study she finished recently involving student participants from two different regions in the United States: 108 from a Midwestern university and 88 from an Eastern university. The Eastern sample was slightly older, with an average age of 22, compared to 19 for the Midwestern sample. Participants were instructed to evaluate an applicant seeking an entry-level position as an immigration law attorney.
In the study, Dr. Fuegen revealed that participants (who were asked to play the role of hiring manager) would be less willing to hire a woman with two children than they would be to hire a woman with identical qualifications who had no children. Astonishingly, the female with two children was also judged as a lesser candidate for promotion compared to a childless woman with the same qualifications. Kathleen gave a brief synopsis statement of what she observed to be happening: “People are setting higher standards for mothers than for fathers because they expect that mothers will be less committed to their jobs and need more time off to care for their children.” These results led Kathleen and her colleagues to believe that these types of opinions are the foundation for workforce stereotypes and biases. Dr. Fuegen asserted, “That these types of discoveries are what motivate me to promote awareness about this issue.”
“Here at NKU, I have the opportunity to help create solutions for these problems,” says Dr. Fuegen. She attends the River City Industrial Annual Conference where there are opportunities to discuss creative ways to resolve various stereotypes and discriminatory actions. Articles referencing her studies have been published by the Miami Herald, Toledo Blade, and in the Psychology Journal.
Dr. Fuegen plans to continue working diligently at NKU to increase awareness about the negative effects stereotypes can have on all individuals. She also wants future generations to be aware that stereotypes are often exhibited in very subtle ways. Dr. Fuegen strongly believes that in order to establish a better and more just community, we must promote the awareness of these topics.