¿Por qué hay pocas mujeres científicas? Una revisión de literatura sobre la brecha de género en carreras STEM

Abstract

Reach of the review: This essay conducts a review of the gender gap in STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and analyzes its main studies. Period of the publications reviewed: The studies considered cover from 2005 to 2019. Origin and types of documents reviewed: Most of the literature consists of articles published in international indexed journals of sociology, psychology, gender and education. Author’s contribution on the publications analyzed: The authors propose a typification that organizes studies on the gender gap in STEM careers according to the three types of expla- nation they provide: a) psychological explanation: which emphasizes the individual’s instance and explains the gap in terms of self-concept, self-confidence and self-efficacy, beliefs and perceptions, and differences in interests and preferences: b) sociocultural explanation: which emphasizes the importance of culture and explains the gap due to parental influence and socialization, discrimination and biases, stereotypes and gender roles: and, c) biological explanation: which emphasizes the features of anatomical sex and explains the gap due to its impact on gender differences. Conclusions on the lines of research studied: This essay concludes that the proposed typifi- cation of the studies in question allows us to understand their theoretical frameworks, central analysis instances, core concepts and main findings.

Topics & Concepts