The simultaneous impacts of gender, age, and culture: an intersectional perspective on Botswana stem leadership
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Authors
Tshenyego, Sandra Bongani
Issue Date
2023-11
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Age , Bullying , Collusion , Gender , Intersectionality , Gender transformation , Masculinity , National culture , Outsiders within , STEM industry dynamics , SDG 5 Gender Equality
Alternative Title
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the intersection of gender, age, culture,
and industry dynamics on the lived experiences of women in Botswana Science Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) leadership. The problem statement was inspired by the
continued underrepresentation of women in STEM senior leadership positions and the paucity
of local intersectional studies on the topic. Intersectionality was used as a key conceptual
framework in this interpretivist qualitative study, creating meaning from the rich thick data
from the interviews. The study recognised the contextual uniqueness of each participant’s
interpretation of her own experiences and acknowledged that that truth might not be
generalisable, though transferable to similar contexts. Data were gathered through
constructivist grounded theory semi-structured interviews. Twenty participants (19 in middle
and senior management positions and 1 in a non-managerial position) were selected using
purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The findings of the study showed that age,
culture, and gender simultaneously impacted women leaders’ experiences in the Botswana
STEM sector. The broader socio-cultural context and STEM industry culture emerged as
having the strongest impact on the women leaders’ experiences of marginalisation.
Specifically, a patriarchal societal culture and a masculine industry culture contributed to
negative gendered experiences for women leaders. Age impacted the women leaders to a lesser
degree, and its impact was more pronounced amongst younger women and older women
leaders. Middle-aged women were transitorily spared, to an extent. While youth was associated
with inexperience for both men and women, young women’s age tended to be viewed more
negatively. Similarly, while older age was cherished for men and associated with wisdom, it
was shunned as a sign of decline for older women. The participants identified strategies for
gender transformation at the individual, familial, industry, and societal levels. The study sought
to address the paucity of intersectional studies in Botswana in general and the STEM sector in
particular. The contribution of the study is an intersectional theoretical framework that
addresses gender transformation in the STEM sector at the individual, organisational and
national levels. The framework informs a holistic approach to gender transformation in the
Botswana STEM sector. The limitations of the study, which future research can address,
include the consideration of other social identities such as social class, sexual orientation and disability, and a broader cross section of STEM stakeholders.