Material practices and experiences "kick back". A socio-material analysis of gendered educational choice

Forfattere

  • Marianne Løken University of Oslo
  • Siri Øyslebø Sørensen NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5617/nordina.3962

Emneord (Nøkkelord):

Socio-materiality, educational choice, young females, narratives

Sammendrag

 

The article examines gender and recruitment for mathematics and science through a close reading of four women’s stories about choosing a mathematics and science education, retrieved from a more comprehensive study of educational choice. Personal interest for the subject is an established understanding of what influence the educational choice. Strategies and campaigns for recruiting women for mathematics and science have thus been geared to awaken precisely women’s interest as women In this article, we move away from an understanding of gender as a background variable to explain "interest in mathematics and science", and instead show how educational choice can be understood as socio-material practices. In the interaction between human and material actors there is also bodily experiences, something which gives gender active significance (agency). Thus, the article contributes to an extended understanding of the components that are included in educational choice and how these components relate to one another, which in turn provides new opportunities for understanding how educational choices can beaffected through material experiences and practices.

 

 

Forfatterbiografier

Marianne Løken, University of Oslo

Marianne Løken holds a PhD in science education at the University of Oslo. Her research interest is on gender issues in science education with a particular focus on narratives of females choosing science subjects in higher education, where females are underrepresented. Løken is trained in social anthropology, special needs eduacation, communication studies and science education.

Siri Øyslebø Sørensen, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Siri Øyslebø Sørensen, PhD, is associate professor at Department of Interdiciplinary studies of culture at NTNU. Her research concerns gender and gender equality measures, and she is in particular interested in mechanisms and processes of inclusion. Currently she works on an action research project aiming at enhancing gender balance amongst professors and research directors at NTNU.

Nedlastinger

Publisert

2018-11-07

Utgave

Vol 14 Nr. 4 (2018): Nordina

Seksjon

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