The research about gender equality in higher education in Europe has been strongly influenced by a few general assumptions regarding why women are underrepresented in higher education. In this paper it is argued that these assumptions can be questioned and therefore need to be further empirically tested. Swedish higher education shows an unequal gender balance (in Sweden officially defined as a deviation from a 40/60 proportion between men and women). This inequality exists within the academic system in the staffing of the higher positions such as research fellows, senior lecturers, associate professors and professors. This holds true despite the fact that women are more numerous to men in entering and finishing undergraduate studies (Lindberg, Riis & Silander 2005). In the European literature on gender equality, there are three dominating assumptions made to understand this dilemma. On the individual level, a common assumption is that women to a higher degree than men choose to leave academia after the doctorate (Rees 2001, Husu 2001, SOU 1995:110, Academy of Finland 1998). On the organisational level, the assumption is that women are discriminated when they seek academic positions (Caplan 1993, Benokraitis & Feagin 1995, Fürst 1988, Wennerås & Wold 1997). On the system level, the assumption is that educational reform does not change gender equality, but rather reproduces gender inequality (Mendiola 1989). This paper questions these three well-known assumptions and test them on the case of higher education in Sweden on the three level of analysis.

Quantitative and qualitative methods are combined in the paper in order to test assumptions on different levels. This includes statistical analysis and text analysis. Material from the database LISA (Statistics Sweden) is used in order to follow cohorts of doctorates at the Swedish labour market 1993-2003.

The empirical tests, of the dominating assumptions held in European research on gender equality in higher education, show that they in many aspects can be falsified. This is primarily due to improper and insufficient research methods used in traditional research. This study concludes by suggesting additional theoretical approaches and methodological improvements when studying gender equality in higher education.