Judith Gill

Julie E. Mills

Suzanne Franzway

Rhonda Sharp

Women in the developed world expect to work in the labour force over the course of their lives. On finishing school more girls are entering universities and undertaking professional training for careers than ever before. Males and females enter many high status professions in roughly equal numbers. However, engineering stands out as a profession that remains obstinately male dominated. Despite efforts to change, little progress has been made in attracting and retaining women in engineering. This book analyses the outcomes of a decade-long investigation into this phenomenon, framed by two questions: Why are there so few women in engineering? And why is this so difficult to change? The study includes data from two major surveys, accounts from female engineers in a range of locations and engineering fields, and case studies of three large engineering corporations. The authors explore the history and politics of several organisations related to women in engineering, and conclude with an analysis of a range of campaigns that have been waged to address the issue of women’s minority status in engineering. Challenging Knowledge, Sex and Power will be of great interest to students of feminist economics, and is also relevant to researchers in women’s studies and engineering education.

Gender, Work and Engineering

Challenging Knowledge, Sex and Power

Katharine Esson

Rosalina Yuen

This book argues that educators and the general public have become complacent about girls’ education as a consequence of the more recent fuss about problems for boys. After an analysis of persistent disquiet about girls’ lifestyles, it uses theories of gender and education to demonstrate that girls are being produced in contradictory ways in current schooling. Many girls develop a sense of themselves through close connection with friendship groups but schooling processes typically require them to adopt the position of competitors in the end-of-school rankings and to act out their individualized positions in imagining themselves into the future. Ultimately the work offers insight and understanding leading to a less divisive educational pathway for girls.

Schooling and the Formation of Gender, Identities and Future Visions

A Girl's Education

Judith Gill

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