Doing gender in mathematics : indications for more gender equality in German universities?

AutorIn
Mischau, Anina

Jahr
2004

Ort
Bielefeld

Typ der Publikation
Book

Abstract
If we believe in mainstream publications on the history of mathematics, scientific progress in this discipline has been made more or less exclusively by male scientists. Female mathematicians, who existed in all stages of the development of this discipline, are not part of the discipline's self-description: the women in this discipline have been forgotten, labeled as "strangers" or "deviants", or they have been actively excluded. Focusing on the situation today, on first glance, the discipline still seems to be "male", at least in Germany. Less than 5% of all professors in this discipline are female. But, on second glance, we can observe that mathematics seems to be becoming more and more interesting for female students. Are we now participating in a process where gender relations are becoming more equal in mathematics? Are women slowly but surely (re-)gaining a place in this discipline? Or: Do we still identify gender differences - does "doing gender" (still) take place in mathematics? In order to give answers to these questions, the authors conducted a survey among students of mathematics and followed it up with in-depth interviews with students of mathematics in three German universities. The main results of this study are presented in this paper.