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The Male as Engineer: The Social Construction of Women's Professional Identity in Africa
Margaret Biakolo (University of Botswana, Gabarone)
Gender difference in professional identity has been the subject of debate in the recent past. Many studies link the question of a woman’s professional identity with the complex question of the social construction of gender identity in general and to the role of important social institutions like the family and educational system in this construction. The role of the media in gender stereotyping has also been under scrutiny. Gender stereotyping begins right from home where parents have different expectations for boys and girls: the choice of toys, clothes, even social appearances differ for girls and boys (e.g. it is okay for boys to be fat and dirty while girls should always be neat and slim). The mass media also share in this propagation by the messages which they send to boys and girls through news, features, cartoons, advertising, etc. This study however focuses on one critical location for the construction of engendered professional identity, the school. Gender identities are constructed in the school not only through textual interaction or the modeling role of teachers, but also through the very choice and orientation of talents and abilities. In most cases boys are encouraged to study Mathematics, the sciences and technology, while girls study education, languages and humanities. Boys and girls thus receive different approval for the choice of majors. The paper therefore traces the connection between stereotyping and the choices of the disciplines and future careers boys and girls make. It examines specifically the consequence for females intending to pursue careers in the disciplines of engineering and physical sciences. The second thrust of the paper, and as part of the effort to strengthen the first thesis, is to examine some of the identity issues that arise for women who break through the wall of stereotypes and become engineers. Based on a study this writer conducted in 2004, the paper examines some implications of this process of gender-based professional identity of women and explores the reasons why girls who otherwise would be capable engineers and scientists are deterred from pursuing careers in this field and why some women who are already engineers abandon their careers to do other jobs or remain as housewives.
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