Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GendeResearchIreland (Exploring gender equality in Irish higher education: Qualitative case-study research into the response to, and process of Athena SWAN)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2018-09-01 al 2020-08-31
The Action ‘Exploring gender equality in Irish higher education: Qualitative case-study research into the response to, and process of Athena SWAN — GendeResearchIreland’ explored the process of embedding gender equality in higher education in Ireland through the implementation of the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter. The aim of the research study conducted as part of the Action sought to uncover the process of change the Charter seeks to institutionalise, by exploring the experience of university staff committed to working on the implementation of Charter actions, their perception of the role and position of the Charter in driving change within the institution, and their understanding of the on-going process of Charter implementation, by focusing on the concrete actions the staff are engaged. The study was focused on the subjective experiences of this group of university staff.
The topic of gender equality and specifically tackling gender inequality through institution-wide programmes, such as the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter, is vital because society needs the higher education sector to be a place of equality and fairness. It is within this environment that future generations can flourish within an educational experience that is fair and just, led by educators and researchers working in a fair and just space.
The objectives of this Maria Skłodowska Curie Action (MSCA) have been to a) develop a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of gender equality interventions (namely, the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter) in the higher education sector; b) examine the nature of the ongoing process of Athena SWAN application and actions, focusing on the nuances and dynamics of how the process is managed, driven and understood by those involved at all levels of governance and academic staff; and c) to understand the role, position and perception of Athena SWAN Ireland Charter within three selected universities in Ireland.
The MSCA Individual Fellowship has fostered the career development of the individual researcher.
Conclusions of the action include the completed research study with two academic journal articles and one media piece; one completed fellowship project in total and dissemination, communication and public engagement actions completed with presentations at conferences, hosting two symposia in UCC, three workshops delivered in secondary schools and one short video.
The topic of gender equality and specifically tackling gender inequality through institution-wide programmes, such as the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter, is vital because society needs the higher education sector to be a place of equality and fairness. It is within this environment that future generations can flourish within an educational experience that is fair and just, led by educators and researchers working in a fair and just space.
The objectives of this Maria Skłodowska Curie Action (MSCA) have been to a) develop a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of gender equality interventions (namely, the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter) in the higher education sector; b) examine the nature of the ongoing process of Athena SWAN application and actions, focusing on the nuances and dynamics of how the process is managed, driven and understood by those involved at all levels of governance and academic staff; and c) to understand the role, position and perception of Athena SWAN Ireland Charter within three selected universities in Ireland.
The MSCA Individual Fellowship has fostered the career development of the individual researcher.
Conclusions of the action include the completed research study with two academic journal articles and one media piece; one completed fellowship project in total and dissemination, communication and public engagement actions completed with presentations at conferences, hosting two symposia in UCC, three workshops delivered in secondary schools and one short video.
The work was conducted through three work packages (WPs). W 1 comprised the research study, a case study research design using qualitative methodology. Three Irish universities were selected and a purposively selected cohort from the groups of university staff working to implement the Charter in three universities were included for research interviews: 32 interviews were conducted in total. The WP resulted in two journal articles and a forthcoming book chapter.
The project was managed under WP 2.
WP 3 was focused on the dissemination, communication and public engagement aspects of the project overall. As part of this WP, the Fellow delivered 4 conference presentations, published 3 media articles for RTE Brainstorm, is co-editing a book Cork as a Healthy City, published a video on the study results and a website showcasing the project work and achievements. To transfer of knowledge, she delivered 4 public engagement workshops and provided supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students. She was appointed Editorial Board member of Frontiers in Sociology.
Results of this MSCA project are reported in 1) two published journal articles on the theoretical framework developed for the study and on the results from the narrative analysis on interview data; 2) a short video created in UCC to communicate a snapshot of results; 3) the GendeResearchIreland Symposia, one held on 15th November 2019 and the other on 14th November 2022 in UCC. The data set collected during the MSCA will inform publications and conference presentations in the coming years, in addition to the ones completed during the fellowship.
The project was managed under WP 2.
WP 3 was focused on the dissemination, communication and public engagement aspects of the project overall. As part of this WP, the Fellow delivered 4 conference presentations, published 3 media articles for RTE Brainstorm, is co-editing a book Cork as a Healthy City, published a video on the study results and a website showcasing the project work and achievements. To transfer of knowledge, she delivered 4 public engagement workshops and provided supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students. She was appointed Editorial Board member of Frontiers in Sociology.
Results of this MSCA project are reported in 1) two published journal articles on the theoretical framework developed for the study and on the results from the narrative analysis on interview data; 2) a short video created in UCC to communicate a snapshot of results; 3) the GendeResearchIreland Symposia, one held on 15th November 2019 and the other on 14th November 2022 in UCC. The data set collected during the MSCA will inform publications and conference presentations in the coming years, in addition to the ones completed during the fellowship.
This MSCA fellowship has advanced the frontiers of gender equality research forward in a number of ways. The two journal articles published by the Fellow have revealed, for the first time in an Irish context, the subjective understandings and account of university staff who drive and are committed to implementing actions for institutionalising gender equality in their higher education institution. The research findings are relevant to other countries across the globe also implementing both the Athena SWAN Charter or a synonymous programme. The research conducted as part of GendeResearchIreland shines new light on the experience of driving change for gender equality, resonating with the challenge at a societal level to transform our world to be socially just.
The focus of the research has been on the process of embedding change, as is the focus in the co-edited publication Cork as a Healthy City. This is an important achievement the Fellow has accomplished, in driving inquisitive and process-oriented research and inquiry. The conference presentations, school workshops, presentation at European Researcher’s Night and knowledge-sharing events led by the Fellow are enabling a flourishing of broader capacity to produce quality research in the field of gender and social equality studies (e.g. Co-convening the ISS21 UCC Gender & the Academy Working Group to raise the usefulness and profile of gender equality in academia studies and delivering seminars on the research to enable researchers to upskill).
This MSCA, funded under the Career Restart Panel (CAR), was a most significant opportunity for the Fellow transitioning back into academic work after a number of years in a caring role and working outside academia. The Fellow has been able to relearn and develop an agility with qualitative research methods, share creative research methods from research (e.g. seminar delivered as part of the Creative Methods seminar series in ISS21, UCC) and feminist theories of institutional change.
The research study conducted as part of this MSCA has exposed and uncovered the nuanced and complex nature of embedding gender equality in higher education, the ambiguity and conflict those individuals who are carrying out much of the Charter work experience, and the phenomenon of ‘institutional happy talk’ engaged by mostly men in senior management position, which the research has revealed. These are innovative and fascinating findings which are sure to allow a pushing forward to the boundaries of theory and action in this field of inquiry and in feminist activism.
Impacts forecast from the MSCA are increased and fine-tuned: new competencies have been acquired by the Fellow in advancing her research career, which the fellowship has directly achieved in her advancement in position; improved implementation of the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter; sharing and disseminating findings with key policy actors, scholars and professionals working to implement the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter; focus on process and subjective experience in researching the gender equality institutionalisation in higher education. A final impact is improved public perception of social science, specifically gender equality studies, as a meaningful and socially important field of inquiry.
The focus of the research has been on the process of embedding change, as is the focus in the co-edited publication Cork as a Healthy City. This is an important achievement the Fellow has accomplished, in driving inquisitive and process-oriented research and inquiry. The conference presentations, school workshops, presentation at European Researcher’s Night and knowledge-sharing events led by the Fellow are enabling a flourishing of broader capacity to produce quality research in the field of gender and social equality studies (e.g. Co-convening the ISS21 UCC Gender & the Academy Working Group to raise the usefulness and profile of gender equality in academia studies and delivering seminars on the research to enable researchers to upskill).
This MSCA, funded under the Career Restart Panel (CAR), was a most significant opportunity for the Fellow transitioning back into academic work after a number of years in a caring role and working outside academia. The Fellow has been able to relearn and develop an agility with qualitative research methods, share creative research methods from research (e.g. seminar delivered as part of the Creative Methods seminar series in ISS21, UCC) and feminist theories of institutional change.
The research study conducted as part of this MSCA has exposed and uncovered the nuanced and complex nature of embedding gender equality in higher education, the ambiguity and conflict those individuals who are carrying out much of the Charter work experience, and the phenomenon of ‘institutional happy talk’ engaged by mostly men in senior management position, which the research has revealed. These are innovative and fascinating findings which are sure to allow a pushing forward to the boundaries of theory and action in this field of inquiry and in feminist activism.
Impacts forecast from the MSCA are increased and fine-tuned: new competencies have been acquired by the Fellow in advancing her research career, which the fellowship has directly achieved in her advancement in position; improved implementation of the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter; sharing and disseminating findings with key policy actors, scholars and professionals working to implement the Athena SWAN Ireland Charter; focus on process and subjective experience in researching the gender equality institutionalisation in higher education. A final impact is improved public perception of social science, specifically gender equality studies, as a meaningful and socially important field of inquiry.