The influence of gender on life choices, opportunities and job placement is an important field of research for various social sciences, including sociology. Research on the Gender Gap in Universities in Italy showed that, in 2020, very few women were enrolled in STEM-related programmes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), despite their excellent academic results in all these fields. While personal aptitudes certainly play a role in these choices, social and cultural factors also significantly influence them . The MIUR data on enrolments for the academic year 2023/2024 confirm that educational choices are markedly characterised by gender, with a strong presence of women in the humanities, education, and training disciplines and a weak presence in STEM disciplines (in particular in engineering and computer science). Gender “educational segregation” – the separation in academic and professional choices and trajectories, resulting in an inequality of opportunities between men and women – may depend on several factors Sociological explanations disagree with the classic opposition between “nature” and “culture”, whereby women’s natural inclination towards care and nurturing also guide their university and professional choices, while men, oriented by individualistic values and practical interests, invest more in technical-scientific knowledge. While the literature contains numerous contributions to women’s choice of STEM disciplines, fewer studies (particularly qualitative ones) have investigated men’s propensity for humanistic and educational disciplines. In particular, the relationship between main gender models and representations of masculinity and young men’s university choices in the field of early years and primary education – i.e., in sectors traditionally occupied by women – is less investigated The present study aims to contribute to filling this gap by analysing the motives that guide men to choose the humanities and educational disciplines. In particular, the research focuses on the factors that drive them to invest in programmes traditionally associated with care, such as BA Primary Education or BA Early Childhood.
Masculinities and Caring Professions. The Case Study of Students Enrolled in University Courses in Educational Disciplines
Giuseppe Masullo
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2024-01-01
Abstract
The influence of gender on life choices, opportunities and job placement is an important field of research for various social sciences, including sociology. Research on the Gender Gap in Universities in Italy showed that, in 2020, very few women were enrolled in STEM-related programmes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), despite their excellent academic results in all these fields. While personal aptitudes certainly play a role in these choices, social and cultural factors also significantly influence them . The MIUR data on enrolments for the academic year 2023/2024 confirm that educational choices are markedly characterised by gender, with a strong presence of women in the humanities, education, and training disciplines and a weak presence in STEM disciplines (in particular in engineering and computer science). Gender “educational segregation” – the separation in academic and professional choices and trajectories, resulting in an inequality of opportunities between men and women – may depend on several factors Sociological explanations disagree with the classic opposition between “nature” and “culture”, whereby women’s natural inclination towards care and nurturing also guide their university and professional choices, while men, oriented by individualistic values and practical interests, invest more in technical-scientific knowledge. While the literature contains numerous contributions to women’s choice of STEM disciplines, fewer studies (particularly qualitative ones) have investigated men’s propensity for humanistic and educational disciplines. In particular, the relationship between main gender models and representations of masculinity and young men’s university choices in the field of early years and primary education – i.e., in sectors traditionally occupied by women – is less investigated The present study aims to contribute to filling this gap by analysing the motives that guide men to choose the humanities and educational disciplines. In particular, the research focuses on the factors that drive them to invest in programmes traditionally associated with care, such as BA Primary Education or BA Early Childhood.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
