Page 29 - Through the gate of the neoliberal academy • Herschberg
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GENERAL INTRODUCTION 27
 Chapter 4
Chapter 4, “The peril of potential: Gender practices in the recruitment and selection of early-career researchers”, that also studies assistant professorships, comprises the second international comparative chapter of my dissertation. In this chapter, I use the theory of gender practices and aim to answer the question: Which gender practices characterize the evaluation of candidates’ potential for precarious positions with a prospect of a more permanent contract? My findings are based on a critical comparative analysis of empirical material on recruitment and selection procedures and criteria collected in SSH and STEM departments of higher education institutions in Belgium, Iceland, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. This chapter adds to the literature on gender in academic organisations by showing which gender practices characterize the recruitment and selection of early-career researchers where judgements are based on potential.
Chapter 5
In chapter 5, “Collectivity and power: Practicing gender in hiring committees for assistant professor positions”, I draw on an observation study in the Dutch case study university. In this chapter I answer the question: How is gender practiced in hiring procedures for assistant professor positions? In total, I observed six hiring procedures: three in the SSH and three in the STEM department, collecting data of 70,5 hours of meetings over a period of three years. This chapter contributes to the literature on gender inequality in (academic) hiring by uncovering seven patterns of practicing gender that illustrate how hiring committee members practice gender collectively before, during and after committee deliberations.
Chapter 6
In closing chapter 6, “General discussion”, I connect the findings of chapters 2 to 5 to answer the main research question of my dissertation. Lastly, this final chapter outlines the theoretical and practical contributions of my dissertation along with methodological reflections and potential avenues for future research.
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