Gender paradoxes in academic and scientific organisations

Gender paradoxes in how academic and scientific organizations are changing and being changed have been the main focus in this project, building on the GEXcel themes 11-12 on the dynamics around the paradoxes of change, excellence and interventions, drawing on interdisciplinary approaches to organizational structures and processes, and the organization of science. Academic and scientific organizations have experienced rapid changes in recent decades, including internationalization of institutions, policies and work; forms of governance and increased accountability; new stratifications of institutions and professions with increased emphasis on excellence, top performance and competition; and prioritizing technology and natural science in research policy. Many of these changes, both long-term macro trends as well as policies for change, seemingly appear as non-gendered, or are represented as such. Paradoxically, along with rapid change, inertia rather than change characterizes the gender patterns in many academic and scientific organizations. Gender patterns remain highly persistent, resistant to change, despite the fact that the recruitment pool to academia has been feminizing, and despite a variety of interventions aimed at changing academia and science towards greater gender balance and awareness.

Fifteen GEXcel vising scholars, senior scholars and early career researchers, from Europe, Australia and USA, stayed at Örebro University, Sweden, for research visits in different periods during spring and autumn 2011. Two international conferences were organised around the theme, Gender Paradoxes in Academic and Scientific Organisation(s) in May 16, 2011 and Gender Paradoxes in Academic and Scientific Organisation(s)– Change, Excellence and Interventions, on October 19-21, 2011, as well as several research workshops and roundtables. Dialogue between theory, policy and practice has been facilitated by frequent consultation and training activities among stakeholder organisations. Proceedings have been published in the GEXcel Work in

Progress Reports:
Sofia Strid and Liisa Husu (eds) (2013): GEXcel Work in Progress Report Volume XVIII: Conference Proceedings from GEXcel Themes 11-12: Gender Paradoxes in Changing Academic and Scientific Organisation(s). CFS Report Series No 24: 2013 - ÖU and Tema Genus Report Series No. 22: 2013 – LiU (223 pages).
Sofia Strid and Liisa Husu (eds) (2013): GEXcel Work in Progress Report Volume XVII: Proceedings from GExcel Themes 11-12 Visiting Scholars: Gender Paradoxes in Changing Academic and Scientific Organisation(s). CFS Report Series No 23: 2013 - ÖU and Tema Genus Report Series No. 21: 2013 – LiU (224 pages).
Strid, Sofia, Gunnarsson, Lena, & Husu, Liisa. (eds) (2012) Proceedings from GEXcel Theme 11-12: Gender Paradoxes in Changing Academic and Scientific Organisation(s): GEXcel Work in Progress Report Volume X, CFS Report Series 16: 2012 - ÖU and Tema Genus Report Series No. 14: 2012 – LiU (132 pages).