情報系分野における女子学生の環境と進路選択

日本における理工系分野の女性研究者は，諸外国と比較して少ない。これまで，女子がなぜ理系を選択しないのかという研究や，教育機関を経たあとの女性のポストが少ないこと，ワークライフバランスの問題などの研究は多くなされてきた。しかし，理工系を選択した女子学生が，どのような生活環境におり進路選択をしていくのかという研究は乏しい。そこで本研究では，情報系分野を選択した女子学生の大学の環境と進路選択についてインタビュー調査を行った。その結果，ジェンダーによる困難性により進路を変更したというケースは見られなかったが，指導教員との関係など，理工系分野の女子学生にとって学びやすい環境とは何か，検討していく必要があると考えられる。

Women are underrepresented in Science and Engineering in Japan. While a number of prior studies have investigated why young women are less likely to choose Science and Engineering as college majors, why women are less likely to be hired in university academic positions in science, and why they are more likely to experience conflict between work and personal life, little has been studied about under what socio-environmental conditions women in Science and Engineering make their career decisions. In this study, I interviewed female university students in Communication and Information Technology to explore in what ways social environments affect their career choices. Results show that while women’s career choices are unlikely to be affected by difficulties in gender relations at school, things such as advisor-advisee relations possibly influence their career decisions. It is suggested that we must carefully examine environments that facilitate the learning of young women in Science and Engineering.