Transforming concepts into practices: Mainstreaming gender in higher education

Abstract

If gender mainstreaming is an implementation strategy for achieving gender equality, how should such a strategy be applied on a university campus? I conducted a case study in T University, employing action research to inquire into the practical knowledge and strategies derived during the interactive dialectical process of transforming concepts into practices. This study evolved a four-point strategy to fulfill the objectives of gender mainstreaming. An assessment of the action process was performed by identifying the need for discourse development, empirical study and advocacy for campus gender movements that need to be assimilated into activities of daily life. Finally, this study applies the aforementioned practical knowledge and strategies to develop a reference model for promoting gender mainstreaming in higher educational institutions.

Abstract in Chinese

如果性別主流化是一種達成性別平等的實施策略, 那麼到底要如何實施與運用策略呢? 本研究以T大學為研究個案, 透過行動研究, 探討性別主流化在個案學校推動歷程中, 從理念到實踐來回辯證之間產生的實務知識與策略 : 1)啟動政治支持、制度建置及專家引導三位一體之互動循環; 2)發現自身特色與問題做為推動起點 ; 3) 讓行動與推動方案具可見性 ; 4)透過活動發現「衍生課題」。再者, 本研究提出「論述生產之必要」與「實證研究之必要」二面向之行動歷程反思, 以及校園性別運動需與人們實際生活接合之主張。本研究希冀透過個案研究生產在高等教育推動性別主流化的實務知識與策略, 並據此提出高教機構推動性別主流化的參照模式, 實踐校園性別平等的理想。

Keywords:

• visibility
• gender mainstreaming
• gender equality
• practical knowledge
• action research

Keywords:

• 可見性
• 性別主流化
• 性別平等
• 實務知識
• 行動研究

Notes on contributor

Hsing-Chen YANG is a professor at the Graduate Institute of Gender Study, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan. Her research interests include feminist pedagogy, gender and sexuality education, and curriculum and teaching. She has published several books regarding gender education, such as Enjoy Gender: Teaching Popular Culture and Sexuality Education; School Life and Gender: Gender Learning and Teaching Practicing. She is now researching projects related to “Mainstreaming gender in medical education: Developing gender competence indicator” and “Integrating gender perspectives into peer education and case method for college students’ friendship and love relation education.”

Notes

1. The United Nations’ Economic and Social Council defined gender mainstreaming as follows: Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality (United Nations, 1997, p. 27).

2. The plan is officially entitled the Project (Draft) for the Implementation of Gender Mainstreaming in Senior High Schools or Institutions of Higher Education.