Gender Work and Organisation Conference
Gender Work and Organisation Conference 27th – 29th June, 2012
Call for abstracts on the Stream - Gender in Science Institutions & Knowledge System
Stream convenors:
- Barry Bozeman, University of Georgia, USA
- Elizabeth Pollitzer, Portia Ltd, London, ENGLAND
- Teresa Rees, Cardiff University, WALES
- Alison Woodward, Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, BELGIUM
Current understanding of the role of gender in science has evolved from the early and oppositional associations of ‘gender’ with women and men to gender as an organizing principle for both institutions and scientific disciplines. Yet greater understanding of gender issues and the growing evidence of how they impact on scientific work and quality has arguably failed to accelerate progress on achieving gender equality within science institutions or research.
Growing worldwide competitiveness in research, development and innovation has focused attention of governments and science policy makers on measures to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the knowledge system. At issue are benefits of investment in education and research to society. It is of great importance that gender knowledge and expertise is integrated into the discussions about `modernisation’ of research structures, workplace practices and management of the scientific workforce. A wide range of actors play a role in bringing about change: research institutes, industry, funding bodies, learned societies, science publishing - and gender research scholars.
For example, in the European context, the `genSET project’ (www.genderinscience.org) and policy discussion within EC Directorate General for Research and Innovation on structural changes, recognised a need to modernise scientific systems. Particularly relevant to our stream are lessons learnt from the knowledge transfer activities enabled within genSET. The project brought together science leaders, gender experts, science strategy experts and over 100 institutions in a consensus forming and capacity building activities to address gender issues in the context of science work, workplace and workforce (www.gender-summit.eu). A key genSET output was a consensus report, containing a comprehensive strategy for gender equality work in science institutions and identifying four core areas where gender issues play a critical role: 1) institutional practices and processes, 2) human capital management, 3) compliance with regulation, and 4) science knowledge making.
The purpose of the stream is to help advance understanding of how gender equality and scientific quality shape and are shaped by one another. We invite submissions from the international research community that can help create theoretically informed, multidisciplinary understanding of the issues affecting the quality of science work, workplace and workforce. Contributions are welcome in any of the following or related themes:
Institutional processes and practices
career models and pathways; assessment criteria and processes, applied to people and work; recruitment and appointment, to different roles and at different levels; working conditions for individuals, teams, dual-career couples, parents and carers.
Human capital
gender issues in the context of how social and intellectual capital within scientific institutions, is organised and deployed: leadership and management styles; selection and performance of committees and panels; composition and performance of research teams; group-work; collaboration, networking, mentoring.
Legislation and compliance
Research that investigates gender issues in the context of the role and impact of regulation and legislation: targets and quotas; internal and external evaluation of institutions; gender mainstreaming strategies and processes; the role and impact of national and European legislation.
Science knowledge making
Research that investigates gender issues in the knowledge production process: gender and the knowledge creation, application and dissemination in science; decision-making within research processes; standards and methods; persuading leaders; gender/sex analysis in training programmes; attitudes to criteria of excellence; negotiating and presenting gender issues in research contents, etc.
Abstracts of approximately 500 words (ONE page, Word document NOT PDF, single spaced, excluding references, no header, footers or track changes) are invited by 1st October 2011 with decisions on acceptance to be made by stream leaders within one month. All abstracts will be peer reviewed. New and young scholars with 'work in progress' papers are welcomed. In the case of co-authored papers, ONE person should be identified as the corresponding author. Note that due to restrictions of space, multiple submissions by the same author will not be timetabled. Abstracts should be emailed in the first instance to contact point Elizabeth Pollitzer, ep@portiaweb.org.uk Abstracts should include FULL contact details, including your name, institutional affiliation, mailing address, and e-mail address. State the title of the stream to which you are submitting your abstract.