Women in STEM Fields: The Influence of Families on Their Choice of Studies

• In Event: Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Broadening Students' Identification With STEM Fields: Access, Participation, and Collaboration

Abstract

Even though women in Austria, nowadays, have reached the highest education level ever in history, they are still underrepresented in STEM-fields. This study tries to identify factors that make young women opt for a gender-typical or gender-atypical study discipline. Especially the impact of parents and siblings is focused on. 36 young women (n=36) were interviewed on motives related to their choice of academic studies. Various career choice theories form the theoretical framework. Recommendations on how to identify factors within family dynamics in order to strengthen young women in their (technical) professional interests conclude the study.

Author

• Barbara Friehs, University of Graz, Austria