The Field of Science and Technology (S&T): The Representation of Women in Online Resources
Abstract
The younger generation has lost interest in science and technology (S&T) as it is viewed as boring, mundane, technical and lacking in excitement. It is important to evoke interest among the young in the field of S&T as this will help the country to produce more specialists, scientists, engineers, and other professionals. Inventions such as solar energy, hybrid automobiles, green buildings and inventions are a few examples of how S&T can help build a more sustainable future. This study focuses on whether men and women are adequately portrayed in online resources as this will affect readers mainly the younger generation. Various articles from online resources were analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine language and images to raise awareness about issues of importance of this research. The findings show that there is an unequal representation of men and women in the field of S&T. Thus, necessary steps need to be taken to ensure that there is equal representation of both genders in the S&T field in online resources as this will only lead to positive effects to the society, the nation, and the world as well. Social media has the power to highlight important issues as different sectors of society are brought together through social media. It is hoped that this study will encourage others to acknowledge the countless contributions of women in the S&T field and to focus more attention on the rights of women to be given due recognition for their intelligence and abilities.
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References
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