Abstract
Drawing on feminist perspectives, this chapter first approaches the issue of gender and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as it might be understood within a feminist theoretical framework, namely as a question both regarding “the gender gap in” and “the gender dimension of” STEM. Secondly, moving to STEM educational choices, it delves into two feminist approaches to “gender”, and “gender and science”, which might be applied in order to explore STEM educational choices from a feminist perspective. The first approach draws on the feminist critique of gender identity: gender as a performative practice structuring the relationship between masculinity and femininity, rather than a naturally given interior essence which belongs to men and women and identifies them. The second approach stems from feminist science studies, and focuses on the gendered representation of science. The significance of these two approaches can be detected at different levels in empirical research, as documented in several chapters in this book and more specifically in Part IV, where a number of terms and frameworks described in the present chapter are used as analytical tools. The final part of this chapter goes back to the “gender gap in” and “the gender dimension of” STEM, discussing a range of practical actions that might be taken from a feminist political perspective.
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Allegrini, A. (2015). Gender, STEM Studies and Educational Choices. Insights from Feminist Perspectives. In: Henriksen, E., Dillon, J., Ryder, J. (eds) Understanding Student Participation and Choice in Science and Technology Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7793-4_4
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