Handbook of Gender and Technology : Environment, Identity, Individual
Herausgeber/in:
Trauth, Eileen M.; Quesenberry, Jeria L.
Quelle: Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited (International Handbooks on Gender Ser), 2023.
Inhalt: Written in an accessible style with comprehensive coverage, the Handbook of Gender and Technology provides an excellent foundation examining gender equity in technology fields. Covering the state of the art, chapters consider three key influences – environmental, identity and individual – to highlight interventions to address the gender gap in technology.
Women’s aversion to majors that (seemingly) require systemizing skills causes gendered field of study choice
Autor/in:
Combet, Benita
Quelle: European Sociological Review, (2023)
Inhalt: Technische Studiengänge scheinen für junge Frauen wenig attraktiv zu sein. Eine soziologische Studie der UZH hat im Detail untersucht, was Schülerinnen am meisten abschreckt. Dabei spielen überholte geschlechtsspezifische Stereotypen – etwa vermeintliche Unterschiede im analytischen Denken – eine grosse Rolle.
Warum entscheiden sich so wenige Schulabgängerinnen für ein technisches Studienfach – trotz guter Noten in Mathematik, trotz hohen Gehältern und Fachkräftemangel im MINT-Bereich? Diese Frage beschäftigt die Gesellschaftswissenschaften schon lange – zumal Untersuchungen zeigen, dass Mädchen mathematisch generell gleich begabt sind wie Knaben.
Möglicherweise spielen in der Gesellschaft verhaftete geschlechtsspezifische Stereotypen eine Rolle: Männer können logisch und abstrakt denken, Frauen sind eher kreativ. Männer sollen das Geld nach Hause bringen, Frauen kümmern sich um die Familie. Männer sind kompetitiv, Frauen scheuen das Risiko. Benita Combet vom Soziologischen Institut der Universität Zürich hat nun in einer Studie gezeigt, dass einige dieser Denkmuster tatsächlich ausschlaggebend für die Studienfachwahl sind.
Faktoren isoliert betrachten
Bisher tat sich die Wissenschaft schwer, die Frage nach den Beweggründen schlüssig zu beantworten. «Das Problem ist, dass viele dieser zum Teil auf falschen Vorstellungen beruhenden und daher nicht zwingend zutreffenden Charakteristiken in den Fächern simultan präsent sind», sagt Studienautorin Combet. So ist das Studium in den meisten MINT-Fächern mathematiklastig, es braucht eine Affinität zur Technik, der spätere Verdienst ist hoch, aber Teilzeitarbeit ist (noch) eher selten möglich. Welcher dieser Faktoren gibt denn nun den Ausschlag, sich für oder gegen ein Fach zu entscheiden?
Combet wählte für ihre Untersuchung deshalb einen neuen Ansatz: Statt die Versuchspersonen über ihr Interesse an echten Studienfächern wie Mathematik oder Psychologie zu befragen, präsentierte sie ihnen fiktive Studienfächer, die sich gezielt in spezifischen Punkten unterschieden: beispielsweise in Bezug auf die Möglichkeit zur Teilzeitarbeit oder die Anforderungen an analytisches Denken und emotionale Intelligenz. Dies ermöglichte ihr, die verschiedenen Faktoren bei ihrer Analyse voneinander zu entflechten. An der Befragung nahmen etwa 1'500 Schweizer Gymnasiastinnen und Gymnasiasten teil.
«Überaschenderweise liessen sich die männlichen Schüler ausschliesslich von ihren Präferenzen für Mathematik und materialistische Werte wie Lohn und Prestige beeinflussen», so Combet. Die anderen Faktoren scheinen für sie nicht relevant zu sein. Ganz anders das Bild bei den jungen Frauen: Diese zeigten eine Aversion gegen Fächer, die analytisches statt kreatives Denken voraussetzten und im Berufsalltag wenig soziale und emotionale Fähigkeiten erforderten. Sie bevorzugten zudem weniger kompetitive Berufsfelder mit Möglichkeit zur Teilzeitarbeit. Entgegen der Erwartungen fühlten sie sich aber genau wie die Männer zu Berufen mit hohem Gehalt und Ansehen hingezogen.
«Vor allem im Hinblick auf Faktoren wie logischer Denkstil und technische Fähigkeiten existieren noch starke geschlechtsspezifische Stereotypen, welche die Entscheidung der Gymnasiastinnen offensichtlich massgeblich beeinflussen», so Combet. «Wir sollten deshalb weiterhin daran arbeiten, diese stärker zu hinterfragen.» Zum Beispiel in Bezug auf das analytische Denken – hier ist wissenschaftlich keineswegs nachgewiesen, dass es Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen gibt. Ausserdem ist diese Fähigkeit Grundvoraussetzung für fast jedes Studium.
Zudem findet es Combet wichtig, die Schülerinnen noch besser über die Studienfächer zu informieren. «Viele gängige Vorstellungen darüber sind nämlich nicht akkurat.» Zum Beispiel, dass es im Ingenieursstudium nur um Affinität zur Technik geht. «Auch in diesem Bereich sind zwischenmenschliche und kreative Fähigkeiten zentral, etwa bei der gemeinsamen Entwicklung von Prototypen.»
(idw-Pressemitteilung)
Quelle: Front. Sociol. (Frontiers in Sociology), 8 (2023) , 1154138 S
Inhalt: Gender segregation in higher education is considered one of the main drivers of persistent economic gender inequality. Yet, though there has been considerable research identifying and describing the underlying mechanisms that cause gendered educational choices in higher education, little is known about how gender segregation in higher education could be changed. Accordingly, this article aims to determine the potential of educational interventions during high school to foster gender desegregation in higher education. We focused on two different processes that contribute to gender segregation in majors among higher education graduates: first, the selection into specific majors and, second, the selection out of specific majors. We investigated whether an intensive counselling programme leads to more gender-atypical choices among high-school graduates and examined whether intensive counselling supports several indicators of students' persistence in gender-atypical majors. Based on data from an experimental study of a counselling programme for German high-school students (N = 625), we estimated the programme's effect with linear probability models and intention-to-treat analysis. Our results show that high-school graduates are more likely to choose a gender-atypical major if they have received intensive counselling. This applies more to men than to women. In addition, the programme improved some persistence indicators for students in gender-atypical majors. Although we found a significant programme effect only for perceived person-major fit and student satisfaction, the coefficients of all aspects of students' persistence show a trend indicating that the programme was beneficial for students in gender-atypical majors. As experimental studies can also be affected by various types of bias, we performed several robustness checks. All analyses indicated stable results. In conclusion, we suggest that intensive counselling programmes have the potential to reduce gender segregation in higher education. More students were motivated to choose a gender-atypical major, and different aspects of student persistence were supported by the programme for students in gender-atypical majors.
Schlagwörter:Beratung; college major choice; gender segregation; horizontal segregation; horizontale Segregation; Studienberatung; Studienfachwahl; Studium
CEWS Kategorie:Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Studium und Studierende
Quelle: Data & Knowledge Engineering, 143 (2023) , 102108 S
Inhalt: Gender inclusion is fundamental to a prosperous society, but inequality and exclusion persist in various sectors of it. One of them is the ICT field, which is still struggling to represent the diversity of those it serves. The lack of diversity and power imbalance in software development affects the produced systems, that, instead of advancing gender inclusion, create new barriers in achieving it. Although considered neutral, software does not equally serve everyone who depends on it, favoring characteristics that are statistically more observed in those that are represented during development. As software development teams are predominantly male, it is not surprising that existing systems favor characteristics that are statistically more observed in men over characteristics observed in other genders. As technologies rapidly evolve and revolutionize the way we live, addressing this problem becomes urgent to ensure that these systems benefit everyone, regardless of their gender. As a first step towards this goal, we performed a systematic mapping study on gender issues in software engineering whose results indicated that gender impacts development and systems, but there are limited approaches for addressing it in Requirements Engineering. This study served as the foundation for proposing a conceptual model for gender-inclusive requirements. Its main objective is to facilitate discussion and analysis of gender and related concepts in the elicitation process to include them in the specification of requirements. In this paper, we extend this work by illustrating the concepts with an example, by presenting a process for using the knowledge of the model and a prototype tool that implements it, and by discussing an evaluation with 31 participants of the conceptual model’s usefulness, difficulty of understanding, strengths and weaknesses, use and recommendation, and finally, its components. The results were positive as both novices and experts in conceptual modeling considered the model useful, provided comprehensive feedback on its strengths but also suggestions for improvement, and most answered positively to the questions about whether they would use and recommend it
Unlocking the Power of Mentoring : A Comprehensive Guide to Evaluating the Impact of STEM Mentorship Programs for Women
Autor/in:
Wolf, Elke; Brenning, Stefanie
Quelle: Soc. Sci. (Social Sciences), 12 (2023) 9
Inhalt: Although mentoring programs for female STEM students are often carried out with a great deal of passion on the part of program managers and mentors, robust results on their effects are often missing. However, regular evaluations are indispensable for an efficient allocation of resources towards gender balances in STEM. To accomplish this requirement, empirically valid and easy-to-use evaluation concepts are needed. We therefore develop an evaluation concept which corresponds to a Logic Chart, capturing three levels of expected effects (output—outcome—impact). On each level of impact, we derive a set of success indicators that can be measured by qualitative methods. A major advantage of our evaluation design is that the effect of a mentoring program can be observed directly after the end of the program. Furthermore, the results provide information about different channels of impact (e.g., reduced stereotypes or increased self-efficacy) and hence offer concrete indications for the further development of the program.
The FESTA project: doing gender equality work in STEM faculties in Europe
Autor/in:
Salminen-Karlsson, Minna
Quelle: Handbook of Gender and Technology. Eileen M. Trauth (Hrsg.), Jeria L. Quesenberry (Hrsg.), Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. 2023, S 90–105
Inhalt: This chapter presents the FESTA project, which worked 2011–2016 to advance gender equality in STEM departments in seven European countries. The focus was on improving the working environment of mainly junior researchers with the motto “a better working environment for women is a better working environment for all”. The aim of the chapter is to showcase work on organizational change to advance women’s careers in different environments. The chapter describes the diversity of the European scene when it comes to gender equality in STEM, and particular issues actualized when trying to improve the situation by means of a cross-European project. Four of the FESTA actions are described in detail: 1) collecting and presenting relevant metrics, 2) improving PhD supervision, 3) improving informal decision making and communication to be more transparent and 4) managing resistance. The chapter concludes with the suggestion that the STEM fields may be able to be forerunners in improving gender equality in the academe.
CEWS Kategorie:Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Sammelwerksbeitrag
“Flying under the radar”: Postfeminism and teaching in academic science
Autor/in:
Doerr, Katherine
Quelle: Gend Work Organ (Gender, Work and Organization), (2022)
Inhalt: Neoliberal academia is marked by vertical and horizontal gender segregation, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a particularly concerning case. Women with PhDs are underrepresented, and when they do participate, they are more likely than men to be in teaching-intensive roles. Beyond equality concerns, this is problematic because when women are interpreters rather than producers of disciplinary knowledge, the STEM enterprise remains gender-biased. Using data from a 2-year ethnography with physical science faculty in teaching-intensive roles, this paper argues that gender inequity is reproduced through postfeminist discourses of work-life balance. Participants who are mothers say they are flying under the radar at work. They self-surveille as they engage in both paid labor as university educators and unpaid carework at home. Importantly, when participants challenge hegemonic gender norms, they attract the radar's attention and are sanctioned. This study contributes to a growing understanding of how and why women are marginalized in STEM careers. Women with science PhDs fulfill their university's teaching mission with minimal support for the implied compensation of work-life balance, leaving the institutional structures which privilege men's participation in STEM research intact.
Quelle: Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich, 2022. 277 S
Inhalt: Entgegen allen Objektivitäts- und Neutralitätsansprüchen bestehen an deutschen Hochschulen Geschlechterungleichheiten fort. Insbesondere im MINT-Bereich sind Frauen* noch immer unterrepräsentiert. Der Sammelband greift Fragen nach den Gründen für die anhaltenden Ungleichheiten sowie Veränderungsmöglichkeiten im Kontext der Diskurse zu Fachkulturen und Intersektionalität auf und diskutiert Strategien für mehr Geschlechtergerechtigkeit an Hochschulen. Das Buch gliedert sich dabei in drei thematische Abschnitte: I. Gleichstellungsdiskurse und Vergeschlechtlichung an Hochschulen, II. Empirische Ergebnisse und III. Perspektiven. Während im ersten Abschnitt vor allem die Rolle und Verantwortung der Hochschule bei der Verwirklichung und Durchsetzung von Geschlechtergerechtigkeit im Fokus der Beiträge steht, diskutieren im zweiten Abschnitt verschiedene Forscherinnen* ihre empirischen Ergebnisse, welche die Thematik Frauen* und MINT aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven untersucht haben. Im dritten Abschnitt werden mögliche Lösungsansätze und Perspektiven im Hinblick auf die Verankerung von Genderkompetenz und Geschlechtergerechtigkeit in der Praxis des Lehr-, Studien- und Hochschulalltags aufgezeigt.
Schlagwörter:Geschlechtergerechtigkeit; Hochschule; MINT
CEWS Kategorie:Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Hochschulen
Inhalt: The Routledge Handbook of Feminist Bioethics is an outstanding resource for anyone with an interest in feminist bioethics, with chapters covering topics from justice and power to the climate crisis.
Schlagwörter:Biologie; biology; feminism; Feminismus; Gerechtigkeit; Justice; Macht; power
CEWS Kategorie:Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Geschlechterverhältnis
Dokumenttyp:Sammelwerk
Incorporating the Gender Perspective in Engineering Curricula : The Case of École Centrale Marseille
Quelle: Overcoming the Challenge of Structural. Angela Wroblewski, Rachel Palmén (Hrsg.), Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. 2022, S 143–157
Inhalt: This chapter aims to present the context, the approach and the pedagogical tools deployed at École Centrale Marseille (ECM) to promote gender equality in engineering education. The ECM has put several mechanisms in place such as challenging traditional gender stereotypes, social representation of the engineering profession and facing the realities of a professional world that is overwhelmingly masculine, including awareness of the glass ceiling effect on access to positions of responsibility and prevention of sexual harassment. The ECM model combines multidisciplinary studies with a professional grounding with the aim of educating students to be able to transform society. In 1997, the ECM founded the Mediterranean Network of Engineering Schools with the main goal of fostering sustainable development in the Mediterranean basin. The ECM has been part of the community of practice on gender equality initiated by Mediterranean Network of Engineering Schools through its participation in the H2020 TARGET project on gender equality in research and higher education.