Why is it so difficult to reduce gender inequality in male-dominated higher educational organizations? A feminist institutional perspective

ABSTRACT

Using a Feminist Institutional perspective, and drawing on a wide range of evidence in different institutions and countries, this article identifies the specific aspects of the structure and culture of male-dominated higher educational organizations that perpetuate gender inequality. Gender inequality refers to the differential evaluation of women and men, and of areas of predominantly female and predominantly male employment. It is reflected at a structural level in the under-representation of women in senior positions and at a cultural level in the legitimacy of a wide range of practices to value men and to facilitate their access to such positions and to undervalue women and to inhibit their access. It shows that even potentially transformative institutional interventions such as Athena SWAN have had little success in reducing gender inequality. It highlights the need to recognize the part played by the ‘normal’ structures and culture in perpetuating gender inequality.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender inequality
• feminist institutional perspective
• culture
• higher educational organizations
• career paths
• leadership
• harassment
• Athena SWAN

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Pat O’Connor is the Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Limerick and Visiting Professor, Geary Institute, University College Dublin Ireland. She previously held visiting professorships at London; Aveiro; Linkoping; Deakin and Melbourne.

Her research interests revolve around gender and higher education: with a particular focus on leadership and management, excellence, organizational culture, masculinities/femininities, micropolitics, mentoring, sponsorship and successful interventions. Her 120 publications include 7 books and over 80 peer-reviewed refereed journal articles in the United States, Australia, UK, Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. Her last book, edited with Kate White, is Gendered Success in Higher Education: Global Perspectives (Palgrave Macmillan). Recent articles include O’Connor, P. et al. (2019) ‘Leadership practices by senior position holders in Higher Educational Research Institutes: Stealth power in action?’ Leadership 15 (6): 722–743; and O’Connor, P. et al. (2019) ‘Mentoring and sponsorship in Higher Educational institutions: Men's invisible advantage in STEM’? Higher Education Research and Development 39 (4): 1–14. She has been involved in a number of international research consortia including FESTA and WHEM. She is currently on the Advisory Boards for TARGET, CHANGE and NORDICORE and was the editor of a Special Issue of Education Sciences on Gender and Leadership (2018).