Change in research and in higher education institutions: forms of resistance in a research-action project

Sara Margarida Diogo; Carina Jordão; Teresa Carvalho; Hana Himi; Maya Ashkenazi; Veronika Mešková; Anita Thaler; Jennifer Dahmen-Adkins

doi:10.5209/infe.72054

Sara Margarida Diogo Universidade de Aveiro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7212-8626
Carina Jordão University of Aveiro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4539-4256
Teresa Carvalho University of Aveiro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3368-3990
Hana Himi BBC, Beit Berl Academic College, Beit Berl (Israel). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5809-3073
Maya Ashkenazi BBC, Beit Berl Academic College, Beit Berl (Israel)
Veronika Mešková Žilinská Univerzita V Žiline, Výskumné centrum, Žilina (Slovakia) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0140-3229
Anita Thaler IFZ – Interdisziplinäre Forschungszentrum für Technik, Arbeit und Kultur [Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture], Graz (Austria)
Jennifer Dahmen-Adkins RWTH Aachen University, Institut für Soziologie, Aachen (Germany).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/infe.72054

Keywords: action-research project, gender equality, knowledge-to-action gap, resistances, structural and cultural challenges, research performing/funding organisations

Agencies: European Commission

Abstract

Introduction. Funded under the Horizon 2020 programme, the CHANGE project –Challenging Gender (In)Equality in Science and Research– aims to create and implement tailor-made gender equality plans (GEPs) in research performing organisations (RPOs). To make GEPs more sustainable, efforts are being made to stimulate institutional cultural change towards gender equal work environments and foster the gender dimension and inclusive research and innovation programmes in research funding organisations (RFOs) as well. The promotion of a gender equality culture is thus a key requirement for RPOs to maximise their potential. The CHANGE consortium is composed of seven institutions from six countries –Austria, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Israel– of which five are GEP implementing partners and two are experienced partners (one coordinator and one internal evaluator). Objectives and Methodology. This paper approaches the methodology of the project and the structural and cultural challenges faced by the implementing partners so far, looking more specifically to the similarities and differences in the different national and institutional contexts. Results and Discussion. In all the five implementing partners organisations, successful steps have been taken in the implementation of GEPs. Regardless of these first successes, even with increasing women’s representation in management and decision-making positions in some specific cases, implementing partners and coordinators fear that this change may be merely circumstantial or only due and during the project duration. Contribution. The challenges and barriers faced so far to stimulate institutional and cultural change towards gender equal work environments in RPOs are diverse. While there are important social, cultural, and institutional differences among the partner institutions, there is a great similarity in the difficulties faced in implementing GEPs. Resistances and challenges that emerge during processes of change when gender equality policies are implemented in RPOs are more transversal to different national and organisational contexts than one could expect.