Publication:
The Problem of Women's Assimilation into UK Engineering Cultures: Can critical mass work?

dc.contributor.author Powell, Abigail en_US
dc.contributor.author Bagilhole, Barbara en_US
dc.contributor.author Dainty, Andrew en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2021-11-25T13:36:47Z
dc.date.available 2021-11-25T13:36:47Z
dc.date.issued 2006 en_US
dc.description.abstract It has been suggested that organisations with a better balance, or critical mass, of women would be more tolerant of difference and foster the inclusion of other women. This paper seeks to investigate whether a strategy of critical mass can really work in the engineering sector. The data are based on research funded by the ESRC, and problematise critical mass theory through semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups with female students from a range of engineering disciplines. The findings demonstrate that women engineering students accept gender discrimination, view the industry positively, value their ‘‘novelty’’ status, and are critical of other women. While these attitudes may be a result of women’s assimilation into the existing engineering culture, they do little to further women’s cause in engineering. Furthermore, it points to both the necessity, and difficulties, of transforming the engineering culture to ensure that the engineering professions are a place where women can not only survive but also thrive. While previous research has addressed the critical mass of women in science, engineering and technology, this research critiques critical mass theory, not only because women continue to remain isolated within the sector, despite increasing numbers, but also because many women engineers reinforce the masculine culture within engineering. en_US
dc.identifier.issn 0261-0159 en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/40094
dc.language English
dc.language.iso EN en_US
dc.rights CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 en_US
dc.rights.uri https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/ en_US
dc.source Legacy MARC en_US
dc.title The Problem of Women's Assimilation into UK Engineering Cultures: Can critical mass work? en_US
dc.type Journal Article en
dcterms.accessRights metadata only access
dspace.entity.type Publication en_US
unsw.accessRights.uri http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_14cb
unsw.description.publisherStatement Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited en_US
unsw.identifier.doiPublisher http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02610150610719146 en_US
unsw.relation.faculty Arts Design & Architecture
unsw.relation.ispartofissue 8 en_US
unsw.relation.ispartofjournal Equal Opportunities International en_US
unsw.relation.ispartofpagefrompageto 688-699 en_US
unsw.relation.ispartofvolume 25 en_US
unsw.relation.originalPublicationAffiliation Powell, Abigail , Social Policy Research Centre, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, UNSW en_US
unsw.relation.originalPublicationAffiliation Bagilhole, Barbara, Loughborough University, UK en_US
unsw.relation.originalPublicationAffiliation Dainty, Andrew, Loughborough University, UK en_US
unsw.relation.school Social Policy Research Centre *
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