Engineering - Gender - Journalism

The general connotation of engineering with masculinity has repercussions for career choices and technical understanding of young women. Only 10 percent of all students in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and sustainable engineering at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences are female in 2018. The numbers for North Rhine-Westphalia look a little better among new students: In 2018, the female quota in all engineering sciences at universities was 22 percent. Recent studies show that primarily cultural expectations and attitudes are responsible for this. How can technical journalism help to revise this social mindest and translate technical issues into a non-male context?

The project "Engineering - Gender - Journalism" starts here and has already begun its work with first teaching research projects: it is analyzed with students to what extent technical topics in print and online media are primarily placed in a male life context. In media-practical seminars, an ideal type of gender-sensitive technology reporting will be developed using concrete examples.

Based on the gained insights, publications and teaching materials should be developed that serve as guidelines for gender-appropriate journalistic work in editorial offices and at universities.

Alongside the research, the project-related blog gender2technik provides up-to-date information and event tips about the topic “women and engineering”.