This is the first in a series of profiles of researchers who were awarded a 2024 Lasallian Research Grant or Lasallian Research Travel Grant by the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN).
Dr. Andrea Bautista-León is professor of business/social sciences at the Universidad La Salle-México, in the Lasallian Region of Latin America (RELAL). Awarded a Lasallian Research Grant, Dr. Bautista-León will conduct a longitudinal study on labor trajectories of women graduates from La Salle University Mexico.
Dr. Bautista-León said that the main questions guiding her study will be: 1) What were the main reasons why women chose their university careers? 2) What are the characteristics of women’s labor trajectories when analyzed by career? 3) What is the impact of Lasallian values on labor trajectories? 4) What are the main challenges in the family-work balance?
In the following Q&A, Dr. Bautista-León responded to a few questions from Christian Brothers Conference.
What inspired you to take on this project?
A global trend in education is the increase in the number of women entering and remaining in higher education, which has been called a “silent revolution” because it goes unnoticed by many economic sectors. However, this increase in women with higher education has not been fully exploited in countries such as Mexico, where the labor participation rate of women is the lowest in Latin America.
How do you see your research benefiting the wider Lasallian community?
My project focuses on studying the labor trajectories of women graduates from La Salle University (Mexico). Little is known about how they are positioned in the labor market. Therefore, it will contribute information about the mechanisms they use to transition between the university and the labor market.
How has the Lasallian mission influenced you as an educator/researcher?
La Salle University’s role in including women in education has been crucial in achieving gender parity in Mexico, which has inspired me to study Lasallian women graduates and will allow me to give examples to my students.
How will your research enhance or connect to the Lasallian mission?
My research will identify outstanding profiles of Lasallian women who can inspire other women to study at our university.
To learn more about Lasallian Research and Travel Grants, visit our Higher Education Support page.