scholarly journals Ethnic minority and majority female academic staff members perspectives on women in stem in Serbia

Sociologija ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-165
Author(s):  
Karolina Lendák-Kabók
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
And Mathematics

The paper aims to fill the gap in the scholarly literature regarding the way in which the intersection of ethnicity, gender and scientific fields shapes women?s narratives about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields in a multiethnic environment in Serbia. A qualitative study was conducted, capitalizing on in-depth, semi-structured of twenty semi-structured interviews conducted with university professors from ethnic minority and majority comminties, working in STEM and social sciences and humanities (SSH) field of studies in two state universiteis in Serbia. The findings indicate that ethnic minority female professors from STEM are less open to female students and colleagues in their domains and do not see the need for more women in STEM. This attitude can be traced back to these women having to overcome a ?double jeopardy? and ?symbolic violence? in a very male-dominated field, as they belong to ethnic minority and hat to deal with the lack of or with the denial of recources within institutions. Equal abilities of men and women in STEM was a topic occurring mostly in the narratives of the majority women who mostly adopted a masculine patterns of behavior and tried to become ?one of the boys?. Both minority and majority women agreed that deeply rooted gender stereotypes prevent women from choosing a career in STEM. The research identified the need for more inclusive education programs on all levels and for female role models to steer more women towards STEM.

Does ethnicity count when contextualizing the low proportion of women in STEM in Serbia?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Lendák-Kabók
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe aim of this article is to explore the perceptions of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields in two ethnic groups (majority Serb and minority Hungarian) in a multiethnic region – Vojvodina, in Serbia – from an intersectional perspective.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was implemented, capitalizing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with university faculty members from two ethnic groups working in a multiethnic region of Serbia (Vojvodina) in the STEM field of studies. Intersectionality as a theoretical approach was applied to reveal the interconnectedness between gender, ethnicity and field of studies.FindingsThe intersectional analysis indicates that minority Hungarian women are more conservative and less inclusive toward other women in STEM, thus they continue to build and enforce gender-based stereotypes. Their lack of inclusiveness is due to having had to overcome a situation of “double jeopardy” (Almquist, 1975) when building a career in STEM, being both members of an ethnic minority and women in STEM. Majority Serb women have adopted masculine patterns of behavior, try to blend in, and become “one of the boys” (Powell and Sang, 2015) in order to diminish the gender penalty and be seen as equal to men. Both minority and majority women agreed that deeply rooted gender stereotypes prevent women from choosing a career in STEM and identified the need for more inclusive education programs at all levels and for more female role models in STEM.Originality/valueThe study contributes by increasing understanding of ethnic minority and majority women's issues in STEM studies in Serbia from an intersectional perspective. It may be relevant to policy makers and contribute to the development of policy recommendations that steer more women in general and ethnic minority women specifically toward STEM, with the ultimate goal of enabling Serbia to develop not only socially but also economically. The paper contributes to the limited research on the STEM-related career experiences of ethnic minority Hungarian women and majority Serb women in Serbia and in the Western Balkans in general.

scholarly journals Modelling Positive Behaviour: A Vital Strategy in Instilling Positive Discipline Among Secondary School Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-172
Author(s):  
Lwazi Sibanda ◽  
Joyce Mathwasa
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Positive Discipline ◽  
School Counsellors ◽  
Development Committee ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
School Heads

This qualitative study, guided by interpretive paradigm, explored how secondary schools use modelling positive behaviour strategy to instil positive discipline among learners in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe. The study was enthused by the abolition of corporal punishment, exclusion due to delinquent behaviour and adoption of positive, inclusive discipline strategies to maintain order in schools. A case study design purposively sampled four schools in which four school heads, twenty members of the disciplinary committee, four school counsellors, two education officers, four School Development Committee chairpersons and forty prefects participated. Data collected through focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were thematically analysed. The results indicated that secondary schools adopted the modelling positive behaviour strategy to instil positive discipline among learners. New staff members’ orientation focused on conduct, modelling of positive behaviour whenever teachers, learners and parents interact as they perform various activities in the school environment. The study also established that prefects as role models were afforded opportunity to lead assembly sessions. The study concluded that in spite of a few cases of misconduct, it is evident that modelling positive behaviour strategy produced affirmative outcomes in schools understudy. The study recommends further research that explores other strategies that could be adopted by schools to maintain positive discipline particularly in rural schools.

scholarly journals The impact of the language barrier on the success of Hungarian minority women in the higher education system of Serbia

Temida ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Lendák-Kabók
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Barrier ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Novi Sad ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The subject of the paper is to analyze the impact of the language barrier faced by Hungarian minority female professors and students in the higher education sys?tem of Serbia. The aim of this paper is to propose measures which might allow Hungarian minority students to overcome the language barrier more easily and to raise awareness for the need of more Hungarian women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The analysis is based on twenty four semi-structured interviews conducted with minority Hungarian female professors and students, who are working or studying at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Interviews were conducted with a pre-composed questionnaire between the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. Interviewees were chosen with a snowball sampling method. Results of analysis show that the majority of Hungarian women face a language barrier at the start of their studies, mostly because of their limited knowledge of the majority?s language. These barriers were more pronounced in Hungarian female students than with professor. This phenomenon can be attributed to the time in which they grew up, or to a different social environment of the twentieth century, when bilingualism was completely natural, from which, less segregation of the nations resulted and a better knowledge of the Serbian language. The professors particularly point out that being bilingual is a great advantage and that their knowledge of several languages was a key advantage in their academic careers. With the analysis of the interviews it was determined that the language barrier was mostly pronounced for students of social sciences and humanities (SSH), where language is the primary tool of communication. The language barrier was less important for the students studying in STEM sciences, where students and professors interact through formulas and written exams.

scholarly journals ‘It Is Time to Operate Like a Woman’: A Corpus Based Study of Representation of Women in STEM Fields in Social Media

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Reem Alkhammash
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
And Function

This study explores the discourse of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or medicine (STEM) fields produced by Twitter users on social media, with a particular focus on language usage and function in this discourse. The exploration of the women in STEM discourse was achieved by collecting a body of tweets using popular hashtags addressing women in STEM from the last week of October 2017. Following a corpus-based approach, this study analyzes the most frequent evaluative adjectives and 4-grams. Results from the analysis of evaluative adjectives show that Twitter users represent women in STEM fields positively by using positive adjectives such as great, amazing, inspirational etc. Furthermore, the analysis of the most frequent 4-grams reveals that Twitter users employ hashtags such as #ilooklikeasurgeon and #womeninSTEM to promote the work of women in STEM fields, show their appreciation of women working and studying in STEM and challenge prevalent gender stereotypes of STEM professions. It was found that the production of women in STEM discourse by most Twitter users has contributed to increasing the strength of women in the STEM community in social media, evidenced by their practices of advocacy, networking and challenging gender biases online. The discourse of women in STEM in social media is an example of discursive activism that focuses on the larger dialogue of women in STEM and highlights dominant forms of sexism and gendered stereotypes of women’s work in male dominated professions.

scholarly journals Educating against all odds: The context and content of social work education in times of national crisis in Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 849-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Dedotsi ◽  
Alys Young
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
National Crisis ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Radical Shift

Greece is 6 years into a socio-economic crisis, during which oppression has increased as a result of unjust austerity measures. Reflecting on the need for an anti-oppressive practice, a qualitative study of pre-qualifying social work education was carried out in one of the four national Departments of Social Work (subsequently abolished). This article reports the findings of semi-structured interviews with final year students ( n = 14) and academic staff members ( n = 10) on the content and context of social work education in relation to anti-oppressive practice. The study revealed the need for a radical shift in social work education based on the emancipatory values of the profession.

scholarly journals Strategic Use of Technology for Inclusive Education in Hong Kong: A Content-Level Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas K. F. Chiu ◽  
Cher Ping Lim
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Minority Students ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ethnic Minority Students ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Language And Mathematics ◽  
And Mathematics

Purpose: A growing body of research has focused on the topic of inclusive education for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. At the same time, few scholars have explored the role technology can play in enhancing inclusivity within the context of quality education. This study examines how the differentiated use of technology that takes into account disparities in prior knowledge can benefit students of different learning backgrounds. Design/Approach/Methods: This study adopted an experimental design to investigate how content-specific and content-neutral technologies can be strategically used to support the classroom discussions of Chinese and ethnic minority students’ learning Chinese language and mathematics. One hundred and twenty-one secondary school students participated in the study. Each student was randomly assigned to a condition, in a 2 (ethnicity: Chinese vs. ethnic minority) × 2 (content: content-specific first vs. content-neutral first) design. Findings: The study found that (a) for Chinese language lessons, ethnic minority students preferred to learn with content-neutral and content-specific technologies in prediscussion and postdiscussion activities, respectively; whereas the Chinese students’ preferences were the opposite and (b) for mathematics lessons, both groups of students performed better when content-specific and content-neutral technologies were used in prediscussion and postdiscussion activities, respectively. Originality/Value: The study presents five practical suggestions for the strategic use of technology in inclusive classrooms in Hong Kong.

scholarly journals “What kind of support do I need to be successful as an ethnic minority medical student?” A qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulviye Isik ◽  
Anouk Wouters ◽  
Gerda Croiset ◽  
Rashmi A. Kusurkar
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Medical Network ◽  
Minority Medical Student

Abstract Background To be in alignment with the increasing diversity in the patient population, ethnic minorities should have appropriate representation in health care professions. Medical students from ethnic minorities therefore need to be successful in their medical studies. The current literature highlights that they underperform in comparison with the ethnic majority. The aim of the present study is to gain insight into what medical students from ethnic minorities experience during their education and what they need to become or stay motivated and to perform to their full potential. Methods Medical students from ethnic minorities from year 1 to 6, enrolled at Amsterdam UMC, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, the Netherlands, were invited via email to participate in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, using an interview guide, from August–October 2018. A constructivist paradigm was adopted. Results Eighteen medical students from ethnic minorities (three from year 1, three from year 2, one from 3, four from year 4, two from year 5, and three from year 6) participated in this study. Students’ negative experiences could be categorized as follows: (1) the effect of discrimination (2) lack of representation of ethnic minority role models, (3) lack of a sense of belonging, (4) lack of a medical network, (5) differences and difficulties in cultural communication and language, and (6) examiner bias in clinical assessments. Examples of support tips relating to these experiences are: increasing awareness about diversity and other religions, providing support groups, having visible ethnic minority role models, and facilitating support in networking. Conclusions Findings of this study suggest that medical students from ethnic minorities have negative experiences that influence their education. Supporting these students is essential for creating a good and safe educational and practical environment for ethnic minority students.

scholarly journals An Innovative IT-Supported Approach Facilitating Co-Design of Tailored Gender Equality Plans The CrowdEquality Idea Crowdsourcing Platform

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Gorbacheva ◽  
Vasiliki Moumtzi ◽  
Armin Stein
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Participatory Approach ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Research Institution ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Internal Stakeholders

Only few European research institutions have managed to implement structural changes and modernise their management towards higher gender equality. At the same time, gender equality is recognised to be an essential component towards achieving innovativeness and better performance. The EQUAL-IST project (“Gender Equality Plans for Information Sciences and Technology Research Institutions”) was aimed at addressing this challenge by designing and implementing tailored Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in the six involved STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) research institutions from Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and Ukraine. In order to increase acceptance, minimise potential resistances, and ensure sustainability of the interventions promoting gender equality initiated within the project, it was decided to follow a participatory approach to GEP design. This approach means that internal stakeholders were engaged in the GEP design, including decision-makers, academic and non-academic staff members, and students. In order to support this approach, an innovative online crowdsourcing platform, called CrowdEquality, was developed and applied within the project. Internal stakeholders from the involved research institutions were invited to collectively use the developed platform during the following processes: (i) identification of specific challenges related to gender equality, which exist in the research institution (‘problems’); (ii) generation of promising initiatives (‘solutions’) that could address each of the identified challenges; and (iii) voting on the selected feasible ideas. This article reports on the course and outcomes of using the CrowdEquality platform for the participatory GEP design within the EQUAL-IST project. Furthermore, it is reflected in the article on the challenges faced and lessons learned during the platform development and operation. The article provides valuable insights to the research institutions willing to apply a participatory approach to GEP design.

scholarly journals Management perceptions of a higher educational brand for the attraction of talented academic staf

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Musa Saurombe ◽  
E. Nicolene Barkhuizen ◽  
Nico E. Schutte
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Higher Education Management ◽  
Education Management ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Higher Educational

Orientation: Academic staff members have a crucial role in the success of higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, it is imperative to cultivate an appealing organisational brand that will attract them to HEIs as an employer of choice.Research purpose: The main objective of this study was to explore management perceptions on a higher educational institution as a brand for the attraction of talented academic staff.Motivation for the study: Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted on organisational branding, not much has emphasised the higher educational sector.Research approach, design and method: A qualitative research approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from management (N = 12) of a merged South African HEI.Main findings: The findings revealed six themes that should form the core of a higher educational brand for academic staff: reputation and image, organisational culture and identity, strategic vision, corporate social responsibility and work and surrounding environment.Practical/managerial implications: The findings of the study will assist higher education management to create a compelling organisational brand and work environment to attract and retain talented academic staff members.Contribution/value-add: This research makes a valuable contribution towards creating new knowledge in the key that should form part of an appealing higher education brand that will attract and retain current and future talent.

Media representation and gender bias in science

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15
Author(s):  
Catherine Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Gender Bias ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
White Men ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Working Environments ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Mathematics

Research on gender bias in science has often focused on the effects of gender stereotypes or a lack of female role models on the recruitment and retention of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, or on the discrimination women scientists face. Systemic bias fuels, and is cyclically reinforced by, media representations of scientists (who are most often presented as white men). While many proposed interventions to address gender inequality in science focus on changing women’s beliefs or behaviour to help them succeed, more inclusive representation of scientists could meaningfully contribute to reshaping the cultural beliefs that act on both genders to deny women opportunities and produce inhospitable learning and working environments.

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