The Sole Engineering Genius: A Professional Identity Not Fit for the Purpose of Gender Equality Projects

Despite decades of directed efforts gender equality is still a challenge in many university level STEM institutions. Key reasons for this are found in disciplinary and institutional cultures. A crucial cultural element is professional identity. In this article, an ethnographic study of a gender equa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEngineering studies Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 201 - 220
Main Authors Lo Andersson, Kai, Landström, Catharina
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.09.2023
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Engineering culture
gender equality
institutional change
professional identity
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Summary:Despite decades of directed efforts gender equality is still a challenge in many university level STEM institutions. Key reasons for this are found in disciplinary and institutional cultures. A crucial cultural element is professional identity. In this article, an ethnographic study of a gender equality program in a technical university in Sweden underpins the identification of a professional identity that we name: the 'sole engineering genius'. This cultural figure displays features that run counter to measures promoting gender equality. As a component of engineering faculty's self-perception as well as views of others, this figure provides rationales for rejecting the changes required to end gender inequality. Against the backdrop of research literature, we argue that this professional identity is not a local or national phenomenon, but likely a key factor in academic engineering culture transnationally that may continue to undermine gender equality strategies in STEM institutions.
ISSN:1937-8629
1940-8374
1940-8374
DOI:10.1080/19378629.2023.2266416