Gender, identity and institutional culture: women students' constructions of success at three South African universities

Abstract

The Carnegie-South Africa Undergraduate Women's Scholarship Programme was set up in 2002 as a national scholarship programme targeted at young women wishing to study primarily in the fields of science and engineering at the undergraduate level. The study provides case studies of the diverse experiences of a selection of these young women at 3 universities: University of Cape Town, Kwa-Zulu-Natal and Pretoria. The chapters reflect on the university institutional cultures from the perspective of these young women and, through analysis of context, voice and discourse, attempt to cast light on their experiences and constructions of academic and social integration and success.