Women in science

Bell, Sharon

doi:10.1787/hemp-v22-art3-en

Cited by 19 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…We sought to understand what was involved in Athena SWAN work and who was actively involved, as well as how the programme was experienced and understood, particularly by postdoctoral researchers and lecturers at the ‘bottlenecks’ within the academic career trajectory. 23 In order to take account of the potential impact of the linking of funding for TROs, we undertook the study in a medical school hosting a TRO. The findings contribute new and unique knowledge on gender equity initiatives to support women's representation in academic medicine.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender equity programmes in academic medicine: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes

et al. 2016

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ObjectivesGender inequity has persisted in academic medicine. Yet equity is vital for countries to achieve their full potential in terms of translational research and patient benefit. This study sought to understand how the gender equity programme, Athena SWAN, can be enabled and constrained by interactions between the programme and the context it is implemented into, and whether these interactions might produce unintended consequences.DesignMultimethod qualitative case studies using a realist evaluation approach.Setting5 departments from a university medical school hosting a Translational Research Organisation.Participants25 hours of observations of gender equality committee meetings, 16 in-depth interviews with Heads of Departments, Committee Leads and key personnel involved in the initiative. 4 focus groups with 15 postdoctoral researchers, lecturers and senior lecturers.ResultsThe implementation of Athena SWAN principles was reported to have created social space to address gender inequity and to have highlighted problematic practices to staff. However, a number of factors reduced the programme's potential to impact gender inequity. Gender inequity was reproduced in the programme's enactment as female staff was undertaking a disproportionate amount of Athena SWAN work, with potential negative impacts on individual women's career progression. Early career researchers experienced problems accessing Athena SWAN initiatives. Furthermore, the impact of the programme was perceived to be undermined by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms, which are beyond the programme's remit.ConclusionsGender equity programmes have the potential to address inequity. However, paradoxically, they can also unintentionally reproduce and reinforce gender inequity through their enactment. Potential programme impacts may be undermined by barriers to staff availing of career development and training initiatives, and by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender equity programmes in academic medicine: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes

et al. 2016

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“…Though progress has been made in closing gaps in recent decades, women still remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related fields in the United States with fewer women entering these fields in tertiary education (National Science Foundation, 2011). Concerns about the underrepresentation of women are also present in many other countries, including Britain (Brosnan, 1998) and Australia (Bell, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender-Role Differences in Spatial Ability: A Meta-Analytic Review

2013

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Although gender-related differences in highly gender typed cognitive abilities are of considerable interest to educators and cognitive researchers alike, relatively little progress has been made in understanding the psychological processes that lead to them. Nash (1979) proposed a sex-role mediation hypothesis for such differences, with particular emphasis on spatial ability. However, changes in gender equality and gender stereotypes in the decades since merit a re-examination of whether a gender-role association still holds (Feingold, 1988). A meta-analysis of 12 studies that examined gender-role identity and mental rotation performance was conducted. These included studies from the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, Croatia, and the United States of America. The mean effect size for masculinity was r = .30 for men and r = .23 for women; no association was found between femininity and mental rotation. This effect size was slightly larger than that found previously by Signorella and Jamison (1986), and exceeds many other factors known to influence spatial ability. The implications of sex-role mediation of gender differences are discussed and future research directions are identified.

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