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Moderate feminism within or against the neoliberal university? The example of Athena SWAN
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Tzanakou, Charikleia and Pearce, Ruth (2019) Moderate feminism within or against the neoliberal university? The example of Athena SWAN. Gender, Work and Organization, 26 (8). pp. 1191-1211. doi:10.1111/gwao.12336 ISSN 0968-6673.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12336
Abstract
This article argues that gender equality programmes in universities and colleges may operate as a form of ‘moderate feminism’, producing contradictions through simultaneously providing a site of resistance and complicity for feminists. Our argument draws on a critical and empirical analysis of the Athena SWAN charter mark, which originated in the UK. We argue that Athena SWAN is a product of neoliberalisation within the UK’s academic environments, reflecting the tendency towards accountability, metrics and the performative ‘doing’ of equality work within this context. We problematise the operationalization and implementation of Athena SWAN processes in departments and universities, describing contradictions and caveats. Athena SWAN can lead to benefits and (limited) achievements in terms of culture change and institutional initiatives. However, the burden of undertaking this work predominantly falls upon women and other marginalised groups, such as people of colour and LGBT people. Equality programmes such as Athena SWAN are often poorly designed to address complex issues, such as intersectional identities and discrimination experienced by self-assessment team members. Nevertheless, we identify potential in utilising the Athena SWAN as a site of resistance and means to foster collective solidarity to work against neoliberal practices.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||||||
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Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman J Political Science > JC Political theory Q Science > Q Science (General) |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Politics and International Studies | ||||||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Women scientists, Sex discrimination , Equality , Neoliberalism , Intersectionality (Sociology) | ||||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Gender, Work and Organization | ||||||||||||
Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. | ||||||||||||
ISSN: | 0968-6673 | ||||||||||||
Official Date: | August 2019 | ||||||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 26 | ||||||||||||
Number: | 8 | ||||||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 1191-1211 | ||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1111/gwao.12336 | ||||||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||||||
Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights): | This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Tzanakou C, Pearce R. Moderate feminism within or against the neoliberal university? The example of Athena SWAN. Gender Work Organ. 2019;1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12336 which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12336. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. | ||||||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 12 December 2018 | ||||||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 13 January 2021 | ||||||||||||
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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