Gender and Careers in Astrophysical Science

Abstract

The hard recognition of women-scientists' role is a central issue for national and supra-national institutions and organizations. Despite the growing access of women in scientific fields of study, the female presence in scientific institutes and equal career opportunities are struggling to establish themselves. These institutes refer to a gendered organizational structure able to reproduce differences in status of women and men. Focusing on the astrophysical sector, the article summarizes the results of a qualitative research that explores the role that gender plays in career paths. In fact, social and cultural practices related to gender can be considered as interpretative keys through which investigate the process of stratification and mobility and the power relations in the workplace. Within organizations, the way in which women-scientists define themselves is the result of processes that interactively act on different levels and spheres of life, and are linked to social norms and representations related to gender roles. Only re-defining the relationships that women have established with the political and social order of the scientific environment gender equality can be achieved.