Identifying Influences in Choosing a STEM Degree: A Qualitative and Comparative Gender Study

• Maysa M. G. Macedo IBM Research
• Andrea Britto Mattos IBM Research
• Marisa Vasconcelos IBM Research
• Alexandre Martinazzo USP
• Roseli Lopes USP

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/wit.2018.3377

Abstract

This paper describes preliminary results of a qualitative study conducted with men and women employed at a technology company. Four focus groups were conducted with a twofold goal: (i) to identify the most relevant influences that the selected people received when opting for an undergraduate program in the technology field; and (ii) to verify if these factors differ between the male and female professionals. Our observations indicate that the career decision process differs between the genders: while men seek mainly for personal and financial satisfaction, women tend to demonstrate a higher concern with their decision before family and society.

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