BEING A WOMAN IN SCIENCE: SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS AMONG TEACHERS AT A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY IN EASTERN AMAZON

Abstract

In any branch of society, relationships are subject to norms centered on traditions, beliefs, and behavioral patterns that constitute the group's culture. In the case of gender inequality, this relationship is no different from the above. This study aims to outline the number and profile of female faculty members teaching at the campuses of the Federal University of Southern and Southeastern Pará (UNIFESSPA) in the city of Marabá, Pará, northern Brazil, and to identify the social representations present in discourses surrounding the term "Women in Science." A questionnaire was administered, and interviews were conducted to identify the social representations that emerged in the statements about what it means to be a woman in science. The data were analyzed using ABRIC's Central Core Theory. The results show that being a woman in science is linked to the empowerment and challenges faced by female faculty members in their daily teaching lives.