“Cruel optimism” in the universities: A discursive‐deconstructive reading of promising promotional projects of gender equality
Autor/in:
Meade, Rosie R.; Kiely, Elizabeth; O’Donovan, Órla
Quelle: Gend Work Organ (Gender, Work and Organization), (2023)
Details
Inhalt: The article illuminates how gender inequality in Ireland's higher education sector continues to be constituted at policy and at local institutional levels as a problem that requires ‘fixing the women”. It analyses two gender equality projects' discursive materials targeting female academics in Irish universities, showing that while these projects embrace elements of feminist praxis and critique, they ultimately propagate “cruel optimism”. They do this by exhorting women academics' subjectification to burdensome practices of strategizing, self-auditing and self-promotion, lured by the promise of awards that only a few will attain. Presented are two cases of what we call “promising promotional projects” that we have encountered in our work in our university. We use the term “projects” to refer to time-limited, bounded interventions that respond to “gender equality” as a field of government, where problems have been diagnosed and where practicable and pragmatic solutions are seen to be required. Our discursive-deconstructive reading of these projects' discursive materials highlights how gender equality projects target women for “promotion” through mobilizing gendered technologies of the self.
Schlagwörter:academia; gender equality measures; gender equality policy; gender inequality; Gleichstellungsmaßnahmen; Gleichstellungspolitik; higher education; Intervention; Ireland; Irland; Wirkung
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Hochschulen, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Institutional Change and Organisational Resistance to Gender Equality in Higher Education: An Irish Case Study
Autor/in:
Hodgins, Margaret; O’Connor, Pat; Buckley, Lucy-Ann
Quelle: Administrative Sciences, 12 (2022) 2, 59 S
Details
Inhalt: Attempts to transform the gendered structures and cultures of higher education institutions have had limited success. This article focuses on one Irish university (pseudonym University A) where gender inequality was a major concern culminating in high-profile litigation. Using a feminist institutional approach, it asks: (1) What changes and interventions were introduced in the context of a favorable national policy environment and local grassroots support? and (2) how were these interventions perceived by staff? The methodology draws, firstly on the authors’ personal knowledge of the local context; secondly, on an analysis of University A’s key gender equality-related actions and documents; and thirdly, on a thematic analysis of qualitative data from 129 respondents in an online survey. Positive changes are identified, as is institutional resistance, reflected in low ambitions and focus on individualistic solutions. In the qualitative data, resistance involving denial; assertions that the problem is solved; the importance of meritocracy, and a focus on “fixing the women” (and the men) were identified. Acceptance of gender equality as an organisational issue was reflected in criticism of the interventions as tokenistic window dressing; not impacting on the culture and “not going far enough”. The implications for effectively addressing gender inequality are discussed
Schlagwörter:gender inequality; higher education; Individualisierung; Irland; organisational behaviour; resistance; tokenism
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Shiny on the Outside, Rotten on the Inside? Perceptions of Female Early Career Researchers on Diversity Policies in Higher Education Institutions
Autor/in:
Bourabain, Dounia; Verhaeghe, Pieter-Paul
Quelle: High Educ Policy (Higher Education Policy), 35 (2022) 2, S 542–560
Details
Inhalt: Diversity policies have become an indispensable part of higher education institutions (HEIs) of the Global North. The increased monitoring by the European Commission has led to changes in Belgian HEI policy especially regarding gender. While research shows that the implementation of diversity policies has a positive effect on redistributing power, critics point out how the initial aim of these policies has been answered by empty promises. This research is based on 50 in-depth interviews of the perceptions and experiences of female academics with diversity policies in five Belgian HEIs. Results show that women perceive these policies as ways to window-dress equality externally, but do not have the expected effects internally. Women were divided on the utilisation of positive action. In addition, the policies lacked an intersectional perspective regarding ethnic minority backgrounds as well as family status for faculty. Studying their experiences and perceptions will allow staff equality agenda in HEIs to progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Schlagwörter:Belgien; discrimination; effectiveness; Gender Action Plan; minority; perception
CEWS Kategorie:Diversity, Europa und Internationales, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Genderperspektiven für die European Studies
Autor/in:
Bencivenga, Rita; Drew, Eileen
Quelle: GENDER (GENDER – Zeitschrift für Geschlecht, Kultur und Gesellschaft), 13 (2021) 1-2021, S 27–42
Details
Inhalt: Gendergerechtigkeit wird in Hochschulen in der EU im Rahmen des Programms Science with and for Society (SwafS) der Europäischen Kommission durch die Umsetzung von Gleichstellungsplänen aktiv gefördert. Die Erarbeitung und Umsetzung von Gleichstellungsplänen wurde durch die Beteiligung an EU-Projekten in irischen sowie italienischen Hochschuleinrichtungen stark beeinflusst. Dieser Beitrag bezieht sich auf Erfahrungen des EU-Projekts SAGE (H2020), bei dem irische und italienische Universitäten kooperieren, die Athena SWAN Charta in Irland, den Aktionsplan Piano di Azioni Positive (PAP) in Italien und Interviews mit Gender- Expert*innen irischer und italienischer Hochschuleinrichtungen. Es wird untersucht, inwieweit die Teilnahme an EU- und nationalen Initiativen ähnliche Ergebnisse erzielen kann. Der Beitrag kommt zu dem Schluss, dass eine abgestimmte Strategie, die sich auf gemeinsame Prioritäten konzentriert und kulturelle, politische und soziale Vielfalt berücksichtigt, die Internationalisierung des Hochschulsektors fördern und den Prozess zur Herstellung von Gendergerechtigkeit in der Wissenschaft beschleunigen könnte.
Schlagwörter:Athena SWAN; EU; Europa; Geschlechtergerechtigkeit; Gleichstellungsplan; Irland; Italien; structural change; structural change project; Strukturwandel
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Delivering gender justice in academia through gender equality plans? Normative and practical challenges
Autor/in:
Clavero, Sara; Galligan, Yvonne
Quelle: Gend Work Organ (Gender, Work and Organization), (2021)
Details
Inhalt: This paper employs the concept of epistemic justice to examine the potential for gender equality plans (GEPs) to bring about sustainable transformative change towards gender equality in higher education. Mindful of both the limitations and opportunities of gender policy interventions, the paper highlights the importance of approaching gender inequality as a problem of justice and power rather than as an issue of ‘loss of talent’. The paper draws on Fricker’s account of epistemic justice as well as on Bourdieu’s analysis of power in the academic field, to evaluate seven gender equality plans in European universities for their potential to transform gender‐power relations in academia. The analysis reveals that insufficient attention is paid to the role of academic power in creating gender injustice at all institutional levels and to the role of organisational culture in the perpetuation of gender inequalities in those settings. The study suggests that the incorporation of an epistemic justice lens in the creation of GEPs would address gendered power relationships and lead to sustainable equitable outcomes.
Schlagwörter:academia; Europa; Europe; gender equality plan; gender inequality; Gerechtigkeit; Geschlechterungleichheit; Gleichstellungspolitik; Hochschule; internationaler Vergleich; Macht; Organisationskultur; transformative change
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Policy framing and resistance : Gender mainstreaming in Horizon 2020
Autor/in:
Vida, Bianka
Quelle: European Journal of Women's Studies, 28 (2021) 1, S 26–41
Details
Inhalt: Scholarship on gender mainstreaming (GM) in the European Union (EU) consistently highlights the disappointing implementation of gender mainstreaming. This article contributes to that discussion through the analysis of the first policy frame on gender equality in the work programmes of the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Development, Horizon 2020, from 2014 until 2016. This article analyses how GM as a transformative strategy is contextualised by advisory group experts, and what is being achieved within Horizon 2020 work programmes. In opposition to the Commission’s rhetorical commitment to GM, this article demonstrates that Horizon 2020 work programmes exemplify a failure of implementing GM, further depoliticising gender equality in the Commission’s neoliberal context.
Schlagwörter:EU; Europäische Kommission; European Commission; Forschungspolitik; framework program; funding; Gender Mainstreaming; Horizon 2020; neoliberalism; policy analysis; resistance; Widerstand
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Wissenschaftspolitik, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Book Review: Annalisa Murgia, Barbara Poggio - Gender and Precarious Research Careers
Autor/in:
Guenther, Elisabeth Anna
Quelle: Gender Work Organ (Gender, Work & Organization), (2020)
Details
Schlagwörter:Eignungskriterien; excellence; Exzellenz; Geschlechterungleichheit; Geschlechterverhältnis; Heteronormativität; internationaler Vergleich; Intersektionalität; Klasse; Meritokratie; Nachwuchsforschende; people of color; Post-doc; prekäre Beschäftigung; race; Ungleichheit; Widerstand; wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs; Wissenschaftsideal; work-life balance
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Wissenschaft als Beruf, Gleichstellungspolitik, Geschlechterverhältnis
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Policy evaluation and gender mainstreaming in the European Union: the perfect (mis)match?
Autor/in:
Minto, Rachel; Mergaert, Lut; Bustelo, María
Quelle: European Journal of Politics and Gender, (2020)
Details
Inhalt: This article assesses the ability of the European Commission’s current approach to policy evaluation to evaluate gender mainstreaming and, in turn, other cross-cutting social agendas (Articles 8–10 TFEU). Taking European Union research policy as a case study, through our analysis, we reveal mismatches between current evaluation standards adopted within the Better Regulation framework and requirements for effectively assessing progress towards cross-cutting social objectives, such as gender equality. The article concludes with a series of recommendations to overcome the identified shortcomings. Our analysis constitutes a key contribution to the development of feminist scholarship on the post-implementation phase of the policy process.
Schlagwörter:Europa; Europäische Kommission; Evaluationsforschung; impact analysis; political science; Politikfeldanalyse; Politikwissenschaft; social aspects
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Multi-Level State Interventions and Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions: The Irish Case
Autor/in:
O’Connor, Pat; Irvine, Gemma
Quelle: Administrative Sciences, 10 (2020) 4, 98 S
Details
Inhalt: Much of the work on gender equality in higher educational institutions (HEIs) has concentrated on the organizational level. The original contribution of this article lies in its focus on state policy developments and interventions. We focus on Ireland as a specific national context, highlighting multi-level state interventions and looking at their impact on HEIs. Using secondary data analysis (including documentary analysis) and focusing particularly on the period since 2014, state initiatives to tackle the problem of gender inequality from various angles are outlined. They include the introduction of Athena SWAN; the Expert Group Review; the Gender Equality Taskforce; the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative; research funding agency initiatives and those around sexual harassment. In evaluating their impact, we look at the gender pay gap, the gender profile of the professoriate and senior management as well as other indicators of cultural change in HEIs. The article concludes that the best possibility of leveraging change arises when it is driven at the state (macro); the HEI (meso) and the situational (micro) level simultaneously, by gender competent leaders willing to tackle the historically male dominated, masculinist criteria, procedures, processes and micropolitical practices that are "normalized" in HEIs.
Schlagwörter:Athena SWAN; gender equality policy; gender pay gap; Gleichstellungspolitik; Hochschule; Irland; Mikropolitik; multi-level governance; Organisationswandel; Professorinnenanteil
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Wissenschaftspolitik, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Gleichstellungspläne : Wirksame Instrumente der Hochschulsteuerung auf dem Weg zu mehr Exzellenz
Autor/in:
Kamm, Ruth; Weber, Ines
Quelle: Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung, 42 (2020) 4, S 82–93
Details
Inhalt: Mit dem Ziel, die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit durch wissenschaftliche Exzellenz im Europäischen Forschungsraum zu stärken, werden im Rahmen des EU-Programms Horizon 2020 länderübergreifende Projektkonsortien gefördert, die für die beteiligten Standorte Gleichstellungspläne entwickeln und einführen. An deutschen Hochschulen gelten Gleichstellungspläne als tradierte Instrumente und rechtliche Basis der Gleichstellungsarbeit. Dies ist jedoch nicht in allen europäischen Hochschulsystemen der Fall. In diesem Beitrag wird der Vorschlag der Europäischen Kommission zur Konzeptualisierung und Implementierung von Gleichstellungsplänen vorgestellt und gezeigt, wie Baltic Gender, ein Konsortium aus acht Einrichtungen im Ostseeraum mit meereswissenschaftlichem Schwerpunkt, diesen genutzt hat. Aus den bisherigen Erkenntnissen werden Bedingungen abgeleitet, unter denen Gleichstellungspläne ihre Wirksamkeit als Steuerungsinstrumente entfalten und dargestellt, wie sie zur Forschungsexzellenz beitragen können.
Schlagwörter:EU-Projekt; Exzellenz; gender equality plan; Gleichstellungsplan; Gleichstellungspolitik; Hochschulsteuerung; Horizon 2020; internationaler Vergleich
CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Gleichstellungspolitik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz