TY - GEN
T1 - Why change works so slowly?
T2 - 45th Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI 2017
AU - Ihsen, S.
AU - Jeanrenaud, Y.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The amount of first year students in Germany in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields is rapidly increasing. In winter term 2015, 40% of all first-year students chose a STEM study programme, from whereas 70% were male and 30% female. Ongoing initiatives and motivation projects by industry and science running now for years seem to have measurable impacts, though not in favoured speed and not in favoured amount. This paper ought to bring some light on the relationship between the development of women's proportions in STEM and the occupational choices of women as well as looking at opposing trends: While the motivational activities seem to become successful, girls and young women are made insecure again in terms of their gender and professional roles by a gender backlash. This gender backlash is visible for instance in gendered toys, a refusal of research results of Gender Studies (in STEM and in general), a public debate about "the freedom of choice" for girls back into gender stereotyped job options, combined with well-known argumentations about their lack of mathematical skills and interest observable in Germany and all over Europe.
AB - The amount of first year students in Germany in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields is rapidly increasing. In winter term 2015, 40% of all first-year students chose a STEM study programme, from whereas 70% were male and 30% female. Ongoing initiatives and motivation projects by industry and science running now for years seem to have measurable impacts, though not in favoured speed and not in favoured amount. This paper ought to bring some light on the relationship between the development of women's proportions in STEM and the occupational choices of women as well as looking at opposing trends: While the motivational activities seem to become successful, girls and young women are made insecure again in terms of their gender and professional roles by a gender backlash. This gender backlash is visible for instance in gendered toys, a refusal of research results of Gender Studies (in STEM and in general), a public debate about "the freedom of choice" for girls back into gender stereotyped job options, combined with well-known argumentations about their lack of mathematical skills and interest observable in Germany and all over Europe.
KW - Gender backlash
KW - Motivation projects
KW - University-industry co-operation
KW - Women in STEM programmes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034757816&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85034757816
T3 - Proceedings of the 45th SEFI Annual Conference 2017 - Education Excellence for Sustainability, SEFI 2017
SP - 1508
EP - 1515
BT - Proceedings of the 45th SEFI Annual Conference 2017 - Education Excellence for Sustainability, SEFI 2017
A2 - Bernardino, Jorge
A2 - Rocha, Joao
A2 - Quadrado, Jose Carlos
PB - European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)
Y2 - 18 September 2017 through 21 September 2017
ER -