The Influence of Social Effects and Societal Expectations Upon Female Participation in Engineering

摘要

Women had a heavy involvement in the revolutionary activities in the political sphere during the period prior to, including and after the 1916 Rising in Ireland. Several subsets of this communities showed equality as a foundation principle of their activities, with even the Proclamation of Independence giving equal weight to Irish men and Irish women in its words. And yet, the 1937 Constitution of Ireland promoted the place of the Irish woman as a mother in the home. What effect did these societal influences and expectations have on the role of women in engineering? Are Irish women in engineering still feeling these effects today? Are there issues still to be addressed to ensure better gender balance in the profession moving forwards?