Mulher, engenheira e professora: trajetórias de mulheres docentes das engenharias na Universidade Estadual do Maranhão/Campus Paulo VI

Abstract

The path to women's education has been irreversible throughout history. Women, once seen as unfit beings, now occupy external and public fields, being able to hold positions of power, lead scientific research, and finally being legitimized as holders of capacities and knowledge. In this sense, considering this occupation in all social spaces and the increasing insertion of women in places traditionally occupied by men, it is highlighted that the proposed study has the following problem: what are the implications of gender relations on the presence of female professors in academic spaces of exact sciences courses? To answer this question, the aim of this study is to analyze the implications of gender relations and the sexual division of labor in the professional trajectories of female professors, from their entry into teaching in undergraduate engineering courses at the State University of Maranhão. As participants, we highlight five current tenured professors from the Science and Technology departments of the State University of Maranhão, who meet the inclusion criteria chosen for the research. The content analysis, according to Bardin (2011), reveals the research findings: out of five professors, only two recognized that female existence shaped their academic and professional paths in a mostly masculine environment, characterizing a partial lack of criticism on the part of the female faculty regarding the effects of gender on the trajectory of women today. Here It is highlighted the need for more studies addressing the trajectory of women who currently occupy positions of power in universities, in order to give visibility to their work and existences.