The impact of the new managerial practices in the scientific trajectories of men and women in times of crisis

Abstract

The progressive incorporation of neoliberal practices in scientific organizations has provoked deep changes in the models of scientific career of men and women. Currently, their trajectories are characterized by intense international mobility and an individualized model of progression because professional careers are no longer sustained by one unique institution. Scientific excellence is the justificatory framework, since only those who reach a major number of individual merits will achieve the highest positions on the professional ladder. Austerity policies impose one additional constriction since resources for new enrollments and promotions have significantly decreased. This work focuses on the strategies used by men and women from different scientific institutions where various contextual factors operate, such as scientific culture, impact of the crisis, etc. The findings display a variety of social situations of men and women in scientific institutions that, however, try to deal with goals and practices that define scientific excellence.