THE LEAKY PIPELINE IN THE CONTEXT OF CATALONIA

 

The underrepresentation of women in ICT studies has been vastly documented during the last decade. The main aim of this research was to analyze key psychosocial explanatory factors to the vocational segregation of men and women in ICT-related studies.

In order to achieve this goal, three different studies were conducted:

• The first quantitative study analyzed a group of around 800 secondary school students’ motivations to pursue ICT studies, together with their stereotypical views and attitude towards computer science over two consecutive years.
• The second qualitative study examined a group of 27 parents’ and 22 secondary teachers’ perceptions of ICTs and ICT professionals and their own role in shaping gendered ICT-related career choices.
• The third study investigated four international initiatives conducted by technological universities (Carnegie Mellon in United States, Trondheim in Norway, Technological of Berlin in Germany and Technological of Catalonia in Spain) to promote the access and retention of women to ICT studies.

 

Title: Per què les dones no trien els estudis TIC? La canonada que goteja en el context de Catalunya [Why women do not pursue ICT studies? The leaky pipeline in the context of Catalunya]

PI: Milagros Sáinz (GenTIC – UOC)

Funding entity: Catalan Women’s Institute (Government of Catalonia) (Ref. ASC/16/2010)

Start date: 15/06/2008 – End date: 15/12/2009