Portuguese Women in Science and Technology (S&T): Some Gender Features Behind MSc. and PhD. Achievement

qualifications, in which women are performing better and better, are
specially required both by HES and Government departments and
laboratories. According to data from the E.C. report we are considering the
break down by industry of the feminisation rate of the Portuguese HRST, in
2004, is particularly elucidative: it raises from about 30% in manufactures
to 54,46% in the tertiary; besides, the feminisation rate of the Knowledge
Intensive Services (KIS), in which HES and GOV departments and
laboratories are comprised, reaches 58,61% (EC 2006, op. cit).

These last results are much in line with approaches and outcomes
brought by some previous research. Taking into consideration the
discussion developed by Castells and Faulkner, among other authors,
Falcao Casaca confronts diverse approaches on nowadays relationship
between women and scientific and technological progress. In line with
Faulkner, Falcao Casaca supports the socio-constructivist approach and
criticises both the techno-optimistic and the techno-pessimistic
perspectives. Likewise, in line with the larger opportunities most authors
forecasted that post-industrial society would bring for women in a less
hierarchical and more relational technologic and scientific framework,
rather traditional views and stereotyped perceptions are still at work: this is
the case for the prevailing association between masculinity and
technological (much more than scientific, we believe...) skills (Falcao
Casaca 2005, op. cit).

A feature to which we should partially attribute the gender bias we
go on observing when Portuguese adolescents must choose among further
studying fields, despite the close performance scores both sexes are
revealing nowadays in Mathematics and Scientific Knowledge. A bias
which arises even more acutely among technological vocational tracks, as

11

<<   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   >>

More intriguing information