Title: Why do more Arab than Jewish girls study STEM? Assessing effects of material insecurity and self-expressive culture on curricular paths in Israel

 

Sociological studies have revealed surprising cross-national differences in the gender composition of STEM fields, with the most male-dominated sectors found in some of the world’s most affluent and reputably gender-progressive societies. Maria Charles has suggested that career aspirations are more strongly influenced by gender stereotypes in “postmaterialist” contexts, where self-expressive career choices are widely encouraged. Charles’ arguments have not yet been subject to rigorous empirical testing, and we know little about the individual and institutional mechanisms by which self expressive values might be translated into gendered career paths. The proposed study will address these gaps by comparing course-taking patterns, student aspirations, and school policies and practices across and within the Arab and Jewish school sectors in Israel. Israel provides an ideal context for assessing these arguments because of its ethnically and culturally bifurcated, yet administratively centralized, school system. Israeli society comprises of a Jewish majority that largely reflects Western individualistic and post-materialistic values, and a large Arab minority that is characterized by less material security and more collectivist and traditional values. Collection of new data will enable us to carry out the first direct assessment of how postmaterialist values, career aspirations, and course-taking patterns vary across and within school sectors and schools. A pilot study conducted by the Israeli PIs on this project demonstrates the potential value of this within-country approach. More generally, the proposed research will advance sociological theory to help account for gender differences in education that are highly consequential for gender gaps in the labor market.