Science and education as spheres of self-realization of women’s creative activity in the process of achieving gender equality (Part I)

Objective of the study is to analyze the evolution of the process of self-realization and creative activity of women in the field of science and education as an indicator of achieving gender equality. The methodological basis of the research is based on the positions of gender sociology as a particular sociological theory, the object of study of which is two sociogender communities: male and female. The fundamental feature of the sociological study of the evolution of the social status and self-realization of women is the appeal to that particular sociological theory, on the basis of which the process of integration of the sociogender community into the sphere under study is revealed. In our case, this is science and, accordingly, the sociology of science, the sociology of education as private sociological theories that reveal the social specifics of the possibilities for the development of a sociogender community in a given area. A generational approach to the study of the process of self-realization of women in the field of science and education allows us to identify the third subject carrier of the process being studied: student youth (youth), the analysis of which is based on the sociology of students as a particular sociological theory. Results of the study. 1. The evolution of women’s integration into science has gone through 4 stages of its development: the first stage is latent (hidden). It is synchronized with the development of the first wave of feminism; stage two - from the beginning of the 20th century to the beginning of the 60s. The stage of global recognition of the status of “woman scientist” and ensuring the right of women to higher education in the USSR and the countries of the socialist camp; – stage three – from the 60s to the 90s of the 20th century. Synchronized with the development of the third wave of feminism - the stage of consistent feminization of science, active integration of women's scientific resources into the economy and development; – stage four – from the mid-90s of the 20th century to the present. The stage of globalization, digitalization of social life, synchronizing with the end of the third and the entry into force of the fourth wave of feminism. This is the stage of redistribution of women's scientific resources in the areas of scientific, educational, socially useful and media activities. 2. The new gender structure of the scientific community has influenced the process of replenishing personnel in postgraduate and doctoral studies at state universities, on which the qualifications of university research and teaching staff depend. 3. The process of accelerated feminization of higher education and science personnel in the post-Soviet period has led to a significant predominance of women among the leadership of universities and full-time teaching staff, but at the same time increasing the average age of teaching staff at universities by two years. The process of generational change of scientists and teaching staff of universities was active. At the same time, the average age of teachers in Russian higher education has grown more slowly than the average age of the population employed in the economy. 4. In the field of Russian science, a persistent contradiction has developed between the representation of women in domestic science (it is higher than in many other countries) and the use of the socio-gender resource of human capital, unequal assessment of the work of scientists, regardless of the gender factor. The leading motives for choosing a scientific career for women and men are research interest and consistency in creative work. Nevertheless, the issue of reducing gender inequality in the field of science and technology remains relevant. Research рerspectives are related to the further conduct of special sociological studies of gender equality and the sociogender resource of human capital in modern Russian society.