Blogs for Women Engineers: a Multimodal Study

Silvia Molina-Plaza

doi:10.14198/fem.2021.38.04

Abstract

This chapter examines thirty blogs for women engineers from a multimodal perspective, offering new ways of analysing their content and communicative strategies. The qualitative study focuses on how the interplay of different modes such as image, writing, typography and colour can be handled and how interpersonal and ideational realizations are construed. The final aim is to unravel relevant meaning-making practices used in these blogs, which want to achieve different objectives: overcome the limitations women still face in engineering by showcasing opportunities, change the perception of women engineers in society and redress the gender imbalance in engineering companies.

Highlights

The final aim is to unravel relevant meaning-making practices used in these blogs, which want to achieve different objectives: overcome the limitations women still face in engineering by showcasing opportunities, change the perception of women engineers in society and redress the gender imbalance in engineering companies
The United Nations recognizes that the gender gap in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors has persisted for many years around the world, and women’s participation in higher education careers has increased tremendously, they are still underrepresented in these fields
CONCLUDING REMARKS The purpose of this study was to illustrate the potential of multimodality with the subgenre of blogs for women engineers to produce creative and persuasive messages

Summary

Introduction

Women and girls make up half of the world’s population and half of its potential. This means that engineering and gender equality are vital to achieving sustainable development in our society. The United Nations recognizes that the gender gap in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors has persisted for many years around the world, and women’s participation in higher education careers has increased tremendously, they are still underrepresented in these fields. STEM careers are fundamental for this change worldwide, which have mainly helped countries to booster their economies. They are the clearest example of gender inequality all over the world (Stout et al, 2011)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion