GENDIM examines gender imbalance in academia in four arenas: 1) national policy development, 2) institutional leadership and policy development, 3) local management practices and 4) career development among permanent employees. We find that 1) national plans have a narrow interpretation of gender balance, and gender inequality is mainly seen as a work / home balance for women in top positions, and not embodied in an organizational culture that requires a broader set of measures. 2) Measures such as mentoring projects and financial instruments to support women are important, but not sufficient. Such measures are better utilized when department heads facilitating them. Moderate gender quotas are a tool that can work against its purpose, if it is not followed up and anchored among local leaders who implement them. Recruitment processes with low transparency and the use of vocations are not to the detriment of women when it takes place in a context with a generally good gender balance. New internationalization policy is to the detriment of local women applicants in recruitment processes, but not for local men. Women do not apply for permanent positions to a lesser extent than men or are systematically underestimated or less willing to relocate for a position. 3) Gender mainstreaming contributes too little to the leaders of ownership to the problem, which is crucial to creating change. 4) Career development among professors shows that gender balance measures, networks and conscious leaders are very important and help to counteract continued men dominance in academia.
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The project uses a novel theoretical approach to study gender dynamics as articulated and practiced within Norwegian universities and Norwegian policy for research and higher education, with a particular focus on the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). An important point of departure is the observation of considerable diversity with respect to the gender balance of academic positions, not only between faculties but also between departments and research groups. This suggests that gender balance policies and gender dynamics are mediated differently. This raises questions regarding national policies, university strategies, epistemic and organisational cultures, and how university academics navigate their situation. Thus it combines a top-down and bottom up research approach.
As an analytic tool, we employ the concept of epistemic living spaces, defined as “researchers’ individual or collective perceptions and narrative re-constructions of the structures, contexts, rationales, actors and values which mold, guide and delimit their potential actions, both in what they aim to know as well as in how they act in social contexts in science and beyond” (Felt and Fochler 2010, p. 2-3). Gender is intertwined in the making and remaking of epistemic living spaces. The project focus on four arenas: (1) Norwegian policy-making institutions of research and higher education, (2) the top level of Norwegian universities, (3) departments including disciplines/specialties, and (4) everyday life of individual scientists/scholars. We combine focus on the mediation work performed at each of the arenas and between these arenas.
The project employs a qualitative methodology, analysing policy policy documents, strategy documents and university newspaper articles. Further, we will reanalyse accounts from 148 interviewees, gathered in a previous project. This data set will be expanded and supplemented by interviews and focus interviews at departments not previously studied.
Analyseoppdrag i tilknytning til BalanseHub
Et fellestrekk ved metodeverktøy utviklet for å evaluere tiltak er at de er bredt anlagt og kompliserte å bruke. Dels er det tale om store indikatorsett der det er vanskelig å finne egnet tallmateriale, og dels krever oppleggene avanserte kvantitative modeller for å kunne beregne effekten. Vi vil utvikle en metodepakke som er gir lokale brukere muligheter til å vurdere effekten av egne tiltak og slik stimulere til lokal læring. En slik metodepakke må være forholdsvis enkel å bruke, den bør ikke være tid- og ressurskrevende, og den bør gi resultater som er enkle å fortolke. Den bør bygge på en kombinasjon av kvantitative og kvalitative analyser for å unngå bruk av indikatorer som er kompliserte å måle. Pakken skal resultere i et sett av kvantitative indikatorer for vurdering av effekten av individrettede tiltak og en kvalitativ metode for å vurdere prosessene omkring og den individuelle betydningen av tiltak rettet mot enkelt-kvinner. I tillegg planlegger vi å utvikle sjekklister som kan brukes for å vurdere iverksettingsprosessene knyttet til organisatoriske initiativ for bedre kjønnsbalanse på alle nivå i U&H-institusjoner, med vekt på hvilke tiltak som gjøres, graden av planmessighet, og hvem som er involvert. Metodepakken vil prøves ut for å vurdere hensiktsmessigheten av og læringspotensialet internt på NTNU og ved to, muligens tre andre institusjoner i sektoren gjennom et samarbeid med andre prosjekter i Balanse-programmet.
