【作者简介】陈彦冰 中国人民大学社会学理论与方法研究中心

【文章来源】《社会》2023年第6期

【内容提要】本研究利用CGSS2018与CGSS2021的数据构建了“STEM教育”与“STEM职业”两个变量，试图分析中国STEM领域的性别分化。一方面，中国高等教育群体中女性接受STEM教育的比例比男性更低，接受过STEM教育的女性在婚姻与生育的影响下也比男性更可能离开劳动力市场；在STEM职业的从业者中，女性也面临着收入上的劣势。另一方面，在接受过STEM教育的劳动力群体中，女性比男性更可能从事STEM职业。STEM领域的性别分化并非不平等持久再生产的模式，它与多维度的分类系统密切关联，而且受到情境与主体性的影响。

【关 键 词】性别, STEM教育, STEM职业, 性别主体性, 社会分类

【全文链接】https://www.society.shu.edu.cn/CN/Y2023/V43/I6/209

Gender Differentiation in the STEM Field of China: A Socio-Categorical Perspective

Abstract: This study uses the data of CGSS2018 and CGSS2021 to construct two variables of "STEM education" and "STEM occupation" in an attempt to analyze gender differentiation in different stages of STEM in China. The findings indicate that the gender classification system does not play a dominant role at each stage, and women with professional education in STEM have a commanding role in the labor market. In terms of educational attainment, women with higher education are more inclined to pursue non-STEM education, and this disparity has remained unaltered despite the increase in college enrolment. Among those with STEM education, women are more likely to drop out of the labor force, but women who remain in the labor force are more likely than men to pursue STEM careers. The impact of marriage and childbearing is mainly reflected in pushing women with STEM education out of the labor market, however, it does not affect the difference between genders in choosing STEM or non-STEM occupations. In terms of income, the gender income gap in STEM occupations is larger than that in non-STEM occupations; as the income level rises, the disparity between women and men in STEM occupations becomes more pronounced. Only women who are least likely to pursue STEM occupations can actually reap the benefits of such careers. The gender classification model in the STEM field is not a model of durably inequality reproduction. It is rather intricately linked to a multidimensional classification system and is influenced by context and subjectivity. The findings of this research suggest that while social stratification is prevalent, there exist fields where the emulation mechanism may not operate effectively. The subjectivity of individuals has opportunity to resist structural disadvantages and that one classification system may either weaken or strengthen another classification system.

Key words: gender, STEM education, STEM occupation, gender subjectivity, social categorization