Gendered Representations of Excellence in Evaluation Discourses and Practices in Academia

• In Event: Contested Academic Norms - Unraveling Evaluation Discourses and Practices in an Age of “Excellence”: Globalisation and the Making of Academic Excellence

Abstract

The evaluation of the scientific performances of researchers is fundamental for their career progression. The presentation is concerned with the concept of research excellence and how it is perceived among German researchers. It focuses on the subjectivity of evaluations of excellence in promotion and hiring processes in academia with regard to Science and Technology (S&T) disciplines. In particular gender-related factors are discussed, that influence the evaluation discourses and practices. Moreover, the contribution analyses how the demands of gender equality are negotiated within evaluation discourses and in relation to the concept of excellence.
The work draws on qualitative data from interviews with researchers at a German university. The interviewees cover different levels of a scientific career. Discourse analysis was applied to reveal evaluation discourses and practices with regard to researchers “excellence”. It can be shown that evaluation discourses and practices differ among researchers. Different types of researchers can be identified in terms of reflecting and practicing excellence evaluations. However, regardless of the type most of them perceive gender equality measures in hiring procedures as undermining the meritocratic principle. Furthermore, most of them think that societal conditions outside the scientific system are responsible for the underrepresentation of women in leading positions in academia.
The findings contribute to STS by working out mechanisms how the category gender relates to excellence in science. In particular, they show how gender is constructed in evaluation discourses and practices. Criteria for excellence are negotiated in gender biased evaluation discourses which influence evaluation practices.

Author

• Andrea Wolffram, RWTH Aachen University