Crumbling Ivory Towers: Academic Organizing and its Gender Effects

The under‐representation of women at the top of the academy is a persistent and fascinating issue, mostly analysed as a result of women's choices or as an issue of personnel management. In this article, the focus is on the functioning of universities as social institutions, where gender is ‘done’ in a specific way. We analyse how the structural, cultural and procedural arrangements of academic organizing constitute gender relations and are specifically interested in the social construction of scientific quality. The ‘normal’ standards for scientific quality reflect the traditions of the natural sciences, with the Olympus as dominant image: the excellent scientist as lonely hero at the top, far distanced from everyday practices. This conception reflects a hegemonic position privileging masculinity. Alternatively, in an Agora model, science is not an autonomous institution, but becomes a societal practice tightly bound with other societal practices concerning the production, transmission, translation and exchange of knowledge. The scientific ideal of the Agora entails greater public accountability, social responsibility and transparency. This model reflects to a certain extent the scientific activities and achievements of female scientists, and we expect that gender will be done differently in it. In our view, the integration and mainstreaming of gender issues within the academy will serve as a strong impetus to the necessary modernization of academia and academic organizing. But this implies a critical reflection on the social constructed nature of any conception of ‘quality’.     

Australian Baby Boomers Face Retirement During the Global Financial Crisis

This paper examines the impact in Australia of the global financial crisis on the baby boom cohort approaching later life. Data from national focus groups of people aged 50 to 64 years (N?=?73), conducted in late 2008, found widespread but variable concern and uncertainty concerning work and retirement plans and experiences. A national survey (N?=?1,009) of those aged 50 to 64 years in mid-2009 reported lower levels of financial satisfaction compared with other life domains; many planned to postpone retirement. Findings are interpreted in the context of policies and markets that differed significantly from those in the United States, notwithstanding the global nature of the financial crisis.     

Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other: The Gender Subtext of Taylorism and Team-based Work

This article analyses gendering processes in two distinct models of work organization. It is a widespread belief that, compared to hierarchical (Tayloristic) organizations, team-based work offers opportunities for a high quality of working life to a broader range of employees, both men and women. Our research, however, suggests that gender inequality is (re)produced in both settings and results from the so-called gender subtext. The gender subtext is the set of often concealed power-based processes (re)producing gender distinction in social practices through organizational and individual arrangements. We draw a comparison between the gender subtext of Tayloristic and team-based work organizations through a theoretical analysis, illustrated by empirical data concerning the functioning of the gender subtext in organizations in the Dutch banking sector. Taylorism and team-based work differ in their conceptualization of organization and job design, but, when it comes to the gender subtext, it is six of one and half a dozen of the other. We argue that in both approaches a gender subtext contributes to the emergence of different but gendered notions of the ‘disembodied worker’. In both cases the notion of the abstract worker is implicitly loaded with masculine connotations. This gender bias is supported by two factors influencing the gendering of jobs: the gender connotations of care responsibilities and of qualification profiles. These implicit connotations produce and reinforce unequal opportunities for men and women to get highly qualified or management jobs. Our research, therefore, questions the self-evidence of stating that team-based work will offer opportunities for a higher quality of working life for women.     

Are there homeless youth in my community? Differences of perception between service providers and high school youth

While teen homelessness, like all homelessness, is increasing, there have been few solid estimates of the actual number of teens effected. A twofold methodology to count homeless teens was used in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and Maine. Social service agencies were contacted to obtain a count of homeless adolescents, and over 3000 high school age teens were surveyed in the seacoast of New Hampshire and southwestern Maine to identify how many were homeless. By using different definitions of homelessness, it was found that a minimum of 5% of all teens in high school reported that they had been homeless sometime during the past year. When using a broadened definition of homelessness, it was found that 20% of the teens regularly stayed with others. However, this experience was not identified by social service providers, who reported that teen homelessness simply was not a problem in their communities. In order to more accurately describe the phenomenon experienced by teens, it is proposed that the term homelessness should be replaced with a more inclusive word, such as housing distress.     

Some Reflections of an Existential Approach to Education in Social Work

To look at social work education implies that we look first at the young people to whom we offer it and in doing so I feel we must ask—who are they; what are the values motivating them and what are some of the issues that have earned for them the name “new generation”? Unless we have some understanding of these motivating factors, I don't think we are in any position to presume to educate them.     

Cognitive‐behavioral bibliotherapy for sexual dysfunctions in heterosexual couples: A randomized waiting‐list controlled clinical trial in the Netherlands

In a randomized waiting‐list controlled clinical trial cognitive‐behavioral bibliotherapy was investigated in heterosexual couples with sexual dysfunctions. After a 10‐week treatment participants (N = 199 couples) reported fewer complaints of low frequency of sexual interaction and general improvement of their sexual problem, and lower male posttreatment ratings of problem‐associated distress. At follow‐up gains with respect to frequency of sex and problem‐associated distress had eroded. Female participants with vaginismus posttreatment reported less complaints of vaginismus. However, female participants with dyspareunia reported more complaints of vaginal discomfort. These differences were maintained at follow‐up. An “intention‐to‐treat” analysis showed that the effects were robust to participant attrition. Treatment compliance was positively associated with outcome in females at posttreatment.     

Development and Evaluation of the Trauma-Informed System Change Instrument: Factorial Validity and Implications for Use

In this paper, we present the process of developing and evaluating an instrument designed to measure the extent to which a complex community system has changed as a result of a community initiative, and for purposes of this research, doing this within the content area of developing local trauma-informed child welfare systems in specific communities in Michigan. The instrument was designed for the Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center’s (CTAC) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded initiative to bring a trauma-informed perspective to professionals working with children in child welfare. The Trauma Informed System Change Instrument was developed with the input of experts in trauma-informed system change. Two parts of the instrument were analyzed separately using confirmatory factor analysis. A two factor model was fit for Community Characteristics and a three factor model for Individual Characteristics. Although adequate factorial validity was obtained for the instrument, specific items on the instrument that were problematic in fitting the model were identified, and suggestions for revising the instrument for improved functionality are offered, as are other potential uses of the instrument.     

Questioning the Notion of Feminine Leadership: A Critical Perspective on the Gender Labelling of Leadership

Traditionally, leadership has been equated with masculinity. Managerial jobs, at least in business and on senior levels, have been defined as a matter of instrumentality, autonomy, result‐orientation, etc. something which is not particularly much in line with what is broadly assumed to be typical for females. Today, however, there seems to be a broad interest in leadership being more participatory, non‐hierarchical, flexible and group‐oriented. These new ideas on leadership are often seen by students of gender as indicating a feminine orientation. This article argues that it is necessary to critically discuss the whole idea of gender labelling leadership as masculine or feminine and suggests that we should be very careful and potentially aware of the unfortunate consequences when we use gender labels. Constructing leadership as feminine may be of some value as a contrast to conventional ideas on leadership and management but may also create a misleading impression of women's orientation to leadership as well as reproducing stereotypes and the traditional gender division of labour.