Is It Transformation or Reform? The Lived Experiences of African Women Doctoral Students in STEM Disciplines in South African Universities

Autor/in	Mkhize, Zamambo
Titel	Is It Transformation or Reform? The Lived Experiences of African Women Doctoral Students in STEM Disciplines in South African Universities
Quelle	In: Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education Research, 86 (2023) 3, S.637-659 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Mkhize, Zamambo)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0018-1560
DOI	10.1007/s10734-022-00918-5
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; STEM Education; Womens Education; Females; Gender Bias; Racism; Disproportionate Representation; Educational Change; Higher Education; Doctoral Students; Postdoctoral Education; Barriers; Equal Education; Access to Education; Educational Policy; College Faculty; Social Bias; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; STEM; 'Women''s education'; Frauenbildung; Weibliches Geschlecht; Geschlechterstereotyp; Rassismus; Bildungsreform; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Doctoral studies; Doctorate studies; Student; Students; Doctoral candidate; Doktorandenprogramm; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Doktorand; Doktorandin; Education; Access; Bildung; Zugang; Bildungszugang; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Fakultät; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields have historically been disciplines dominated by white men. The colonial ideology designated Africans as subhuman, inferior intellectually, socially, and culturally to the white masculine norm in STEM disciplines. STEM education and careers were thus constructed to attract white, heterosexual, middle-to-upper class, Christian, able-bodied men. This positioning ensured that STEM environments remained inhospitable to anyone whose identity was outside the constructed somatic norm. The calls and imperatives to transform notwithstanding, the transformation process in STEM disciplines is moving at a snail-like pace. This article argues that what is occurring in STEM disciplines in South African universities is reform not transformation. It is underpinned by the intersectional theory within the qualitative paradigm. Seventy-three African doctoral and postdoctoral women students in STEM were interviewed from five South African universities. The findings highlighted how African women in STEM face challenges based on their racial and gendered identities and that what is presented as transformation is still oppressive to them. The study also found that equity through access to education in democratic South Africa does not equate to transformation. The argument presented is that despite existing policies and initiatives in South African universities to transform, the demographic inclusion of African, female staff and students does not necessarily equate to transforming the STEM environment. What needs to occur is a shift beyond reform and towards transformation through the use of strategic inventions which dismantle the racist, sexist, classist, and xenophobic ideology that permeates these environments. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01