Educational Creativity And Innovation By Means Of Gender Mainstreaming. Success Factor Theoretical And Practical Gender Learning

Author(s):

Malwine Seemann(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

01. Continuing Professional Development: Learning for Individuals, Leaders, and Organisations

Format:

Paper

Session Information

01 SES 06 C, Mentoring and Professionalism

Paper Session

Time:

2013-09-11

15:30-17:00

Room:

B-204

Chair:

Contribution

Gender mainstreaming is the integration of the gender perspective into every stage of policy processes with a view to promoting gender equality. It means assessing how policies impact on the life and position of women and men, girls and boys – and taking responsibility to redress them if necessary. This is the way to make gender equality a concrete reality in the lives of women and men, creating space for everyone within organisations as well as in communities to contribute to the process of articulating a shared vision of sustainable human development and translating it into reality (Vinnovia, 2011). Gender mainstreaming affects all social relations, schools as well. Gender differences and inequalities persist in education in terms of subject preferences and of performance, and in cultural aspects of the education and training experience (NESSE, 2009). At the same time school has a great potential to increase gender equality. Research has been carried out in Sweden because this country has practical experience of implementing gender mainstreaming in many areas including that of education. During the time I did my research there was political support as well as funding for gender mainstreaming in Swedish schools. Thus I was able to collect data from a variety of experiences of gender mainstreaming processes at different educational levels. The aim of the analysed gender mainstreaming school projects was to achieve permanent changes in the gender order in the everyday life of the school. Supportive measures were provided from the outset. The projects being the result of political decision-making, considerable resources were provided. There was a wide range of proven gender mainstreaming methods to choose from. Methods such as the study of domination techniques (Ås, 1980), values testing exercises promote knowledge through experience. The use of domination techniques in role play allows for instance an interactive analysis in a gender perspective of the in practice identifiable and theoretically definable techniques of the exercise of power such as ridicule, withholding information and other attitudes that create and reinforce inequality between the sexes. Countermeasures are worked out in so far as the individuals can prevent others from exercising power over them. Gender patterns were analysed by students and staff together mapping in detail what circumstances a person felt discriminated against, and exactly how the situation was reacted to. Plans for action included concrete objectives, a time-frame and identification of those responsible. The success of the project was due to the active participation of all persons involved and the inclusion of all non-teaching staff such as caretakers, canteen employees, librarians etc in helping to make gender inequalities visible. The process must be clearly defined by means of a gender analysis of the workplace in question, based on a thorough understanding of relations between the sexes in terms of power structures, and by means of common concrete objectives drawn up within the framework of a set time table and clearly defined areas of responsibility. Finally there must be a thorough evaluation of the whole process.

Method

This study focuses on methods and means by which the gender equality strategy gender mainstreaming is used within the Swedis school system. The methodological process aims at two levels: the analysis of existing material and interviews with experts at all levels of government, schools and NGOs. Considering the cultural structure and education policy of this country, an assessment takes place, as to how much of the aim of the strategy of gender mainstreaming – gender equality – has been achieved and how much the tool gender mainstreaming is used as a strategy by government administration to achieve their goal of permanent gender equality. I conducted an analysis of qualitative guideline-based interviews with experts, carried out between 2003-2006 at various school levels, as well as at different levels within gender equality institutions, the administrative framework and universities. The exploratory questions are concerned with different phases of implementation, such as introduction, sensitisation, method and the process of introducing change. The research questions aim at different phases of implementation: phases of initiation and sensitisation, of learning methods and of planning and implementing changes. The focus is on what facilitated and what hindered implementation, where difficulties were encountered and where positive changes could be observed.

Expected Outcomes

As a result of my research I was able to define three factors which are facilitators of gender mainstreaming processes. An additional three emerge as significant counter-forces. Perhaps one of the success factors, theoretical and practical gender learning, is particularly relevant in that gender relationships and one’s own involvement in the predominantly hierarchical gender system cannot be fully grasped at a purely theoretical level. A deeper understanding needs to be developed and experienced physically in interaction with others. Situational knowledge, practical knowledge as elaborated by Bourdieu, needs to be included, since gender awareness is not something that exists only in the brain. Doing gender is an inherent part of people's lives, of their daily routines and reflected in the rules of procedure of organisations that continuously reproduce gender hierarchies. Efforts to change these must therefore take place within the organisations themselves (see Andresen / Dölling, 2005). This insight was in tune with the concept of the gender projects under study, also reflecting the experiences of the project leaders. Theoretical and practical gender learning includes both a theoretical gender perspective and a gender equality mind-set, leading to increased awareness of gender inequalities and a willingness to change them.

References

Acker, Joan. (1991). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: a theory of gendered organizations. In: Judith Lorber & Susan F. Farrell (Hrsg.), The social construction of Gender. (S. 162-179) Newbury Park, London, New Delhi Andresen, Sünne; Dölling, Irene (2005): »Umbau des Geschlechter-Wissens von ReformakteurInnen durch Gender Mainstreaming?« In: Ute Behning/Birgit Sauer (Hg.), Was bewirkt Gender Mainstreaming? Evaluierung durch Policy Analysen, Frankfurt/M/ New York: Campus Verlag, S. 171-187. Bourdieu, Pierre (2005) Die männliche Herrschaft, Frankfurt / Main Council of Europe (1998) Gender Mainstreaming, Conceptual framework, methodology and presentation of good practices, Final report of Activities of the Group of Specialists on Mainstreaming, Strasbourg Eurydice (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Agency, 2010) Gender Differences in Educational Outcomes: Study on the Measures Taken and the Current Situation in Europe, Brussels Falu kommun (2004), På lika villkor, Falun. Glaser, Barney G.; Strauss, Anselm L., 2005 (1998): grounded theory. Strategien qualitativer Forschung, Bern Goffman, Erving. (2001). Interaktion und Geschlecht. Frankfurt, New York: Campus Verlag GR Utbildning och Jämställdhetsombudsmannen (JämO) (2004): Att vaga hoppa jämfota – rapport från ett jämställdhetspedagogikt projekt, Stockholm. JämO (2000): JämOs handbok mot könsmobbning i skolan, Stockholm. Meuser, Michael; Nagel, Ulrike, 2004:, Das ExpertInneninterview: Zur Rekonstruktion spezialisierten Sonderwissens. In: Becker, Ruth; Kortendiek, Beate et al. (Hrsg.) Handbuch Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung: Theorie. Methoden, Empirie, Wiesbaden NESSE, the independent Network of Experts in Social Sciences of Education and training (200) IP/09/1412, Brussels Schmidt, Christiane (1997) „Am Material“: Auswertungstechniken für Leitfadeninterviews, in Friebertshäuser / Prengel: Handbuch. Qualitative Forschungsmethoden in der Erziehungswissenschaft, Weinheim, München Seemann, Malwine. (2009) Geschlechtergerechtigkeit in der Schule. Eine Studie zum Gender Mainstreaming in Schweden, Bielefeld Seemann, Malwine (2011) Construction of Gender Equality in Schools. Experiences with Gender Mainstreaming in Sweden, in: Equality, Growth and Sustainability – Do they mix? Linköping University, http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/058/ecp11058.pdf, p.143-151 Vinnovia Information (2011:8) Innovation and Gender, ed. by Danilda, Inger; Thorlund, Jennie Granat, Sweden

Author Information

Malwine Seemann (presenting / submitting)

ZFG Carl von Ossietzky Universität

Oldenburg

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