Gender stereotypes: an analysis of teaching interactions in an academic culture in mining careers

Abstract

This article analyzes gender biases present in teacher-student interactions in the careers of mining. Through an ethnographic study, the results show that in the interactions between teachers and female students, gender stereotypes operate interactively, on multiple levels and with different intensities. The interactions are contradictory and are expressed in an open or covert manner, being recognized, yet hidden, they are disrespectful and at the same time subtle. As a consequence, discourse in words, gestures, and ambiguity in the way teachers teach, interferes with how students are taught and what students learn, especially in the case of disciplines associated with mining. Additionally, stereotypes underlie male-dominated academic cultures, although they are visibly complex, it is a contribution in analyzing other STEM disciplines in which women are, incidentally, highly segregated.