Gendering Excellence in Technological Research: A Comparative European Perspective

Liisa Husu,Paula Koskinen

doi:10.4067/s0718-27242010000100010

Abstract

Gender patterns in technological and engineering research careers were explored in the EU funded 13-country study PROMETEA in 2005-2007, including old and new EU member states, and Serbia, the Russian Federation and Chile. Drawing from this study, the article analyses the gendering of key arenas of excellence in technological and engineering research from a comparative international perspective, with a focus on research funding, publishing, scientific prizes and awards, and patents. A central challenge for gender-sensitive science and research policy is how to combine the promotion of scientific excellence with the promotion of gender equality. Exploring the gendering of excellence in technology and engineering research is of special interest because of the strong position this field enjoys in national, European and international research policy and in national research policies, and also because it continues to be the most male-dominated research field. Furthermore, the article discusses methodological challenges of this type of comparative research.

Highlights

Gender patterns in technological and engineering research careers were explored in the EU funded 13-country study PROMETEA in 2005-2007, including old and new EU member states, and Serbia, the Russian Federation and Chile
The arenas of excellence in engineering and technology are extremely male-dominated both when it comes to their gatekeepers and to those who are defined as “excellent”
In most arenas of excellence, gender is not considered as an issue in most of the countries studied – gender equality is not on the agenda, active policies and measures in order to get more women involved are lacking, and gender balance is not monitored

Summary

Methodology

The gender dynamics of excellence in the technological and engineering research field was approached by gathering and analysing quantitative data on gate-keepers of excellence, i.e., decision-makers and evaluators granting and awarding excellence; those who were evaluated/defined as “excellent”; and potential gender monitoring of activities in these arenas, and contrasting this with qualitative data on perceptions and experiences of the few women who have advanced to the top in technological and engineering research. These different “funding landscapes” obviously create different opportunity structures and career expectations for researchers in the National PROMETEA teams were requested to collect data on major funding organizations for technological and engineering research in their country (both public and major private ones), obtain data on the gender composition of decision makers in these organisations (members of research councils, boards of major foundations), gender composition of referees and evaluators - if available; success rates by gender - if available; and information whether the organisation has a formal gender equality policy (for example, a gender equality plan). In most cases this made it possible to locate the person and define their gender on the basis of the person pronoun “she” or “he” was referred to on the website, or, somewhat less reliably, by their photographs published on the Web

Gender Patterns in Arenas of Excellence

Findings

Conclusions and Policy Implications