A Critical Look at Staff Appraisal: The Case of Women in Scottish Universities

An analysis of appraisal of women staff in Scottish universities reveals two ‘puzzles’. First, although there is a general decline in the use of appraisal schemes in these universities, women staff still have a strong sense of being subject to a disciplinary technology. Second, although appraisal and the broader disciplinary technology disadvantage women, they still want to be appraised. This article uses the critical literature on appraisal, and particularly a Foucauldian analysis of disciplinary power, to shed light on these apparent contradictions. Such an approach helps explain the first of these ‘puzzles’ but a basic conundrum for women remains — although there are demands for appraisal and normalization in the name of fairness and equity, such processes of normalization tend to be gender‐biased and hence should be resisted by women.     

Sex Discrimination in UK Academia

This article examines the gendered nature of employment in UK universities, showing women's experience of discrimination through differences in contract status and in access to academic hierarchies. It argues that the typical academic career path is structured according to a male perception of success: research‐active, participating in the Research Assessment Exercise, an uninterrupted career history. The system of meritocracy upon which appointment and promotion within academic are based, the article argues, reinforces such a masculine approach to career success. These meritocratic systems of inequality reflect and reproduce the discursive practices of masculinity that present disadvantages to a majority of women and some men.     

清初望族与传统学术——以宣城吴肃公为例

清初宣城地区学术文化具有鲜明的特色和显著成就。文章以清初宣城著名学者吴肃公为例,绍述他在继承理学家风的同时,直接追溯到孔孟,对程朱理学、陆王心学和佛禅进行批判,其在学术上寓意深远,思想上颇具特色,藉此说明江南文化家族如何在传承学术的基础上有所发展创新,在学术领域占有一席之地。     

无可救药的理想主义者——关于杨玉圣学术志业的综合批评之三

杨玉圣的学术志业及其近著《流浪学坛》,突出地显示出他身上互为表里的书生意气和知识理性．在当今学界具有典型性：杨玉圣这位带着理想主义的知识分子在当下中国学界的处境及个体选择的困难,很能让我们反思当今学术界特别是学术管理层。     

是“征服者”，还是真学者？——就五十年代的郭沫若与王维江先生商榷

王维江先生仅以回忆录为史料,试图完成“分析中国共产党与学术研究的关系,探求五十年代知识分子的命运浮沉”这一宏大叙述的研究路径,有勉为其难之虞。他对郭沫若在五十年代的学术成就“不成东西”的评说难以与事实相符,把一直主张“西周奴隶说”的郭沫若,因其所谓的“紧跟毛泽东”,而划到“西周封建说”一营,更留下实在不该有的硬伤。与给予党外学者的理解包容相比,他对郭沫若缺少了些许的“了解之同情”。     

Equality for all? Support for equal opportunity among professors in Europe

Equal Opportunity programs (EO) continue to be at the center of the debate about promoting equality in higher education. While support for EO has been well-studied in American higher education, this research is the first to investigate the attitudes towards and support for a range of EO policies among professors in Europe. We specifically examine faculty support for seven different EO measures used in European universities that require varying levels of involvement and commitment. From a sample of 689 professors, findings show that women professors tend to show more support for all EO programs compared to men professors. We also see differences across disciplines. Professors from the humanities and social sciences are more likely to endorse such programs than their counterparts in STEM disciplines. Moreover, the differences across disciplines and gender decrease substantially when controlling for racial and gender attitudes. Finally, soft/differential programs, which prioritize merit but take group membership into account are preferred over hard/preferential programs which prioritize achieving equality by targeting members from marginalized groups. This research is innovative for its geographical location, sample of study, and range of included measures.     

The curious under‐representation of women impact case leaders: Can we disengender inequality regimes?

Universities are increasingly expected to demonstrate the wider societal impacts of academic research. Yet women management scholars were disproportionately under‐represented in leading impact cases in the UK's REF (Research Excellence Framework) 2014. An analysis of 395 REF impact cases for business and management studies with an identifiable lead author revealed that only 25 per cent were led by women, of which 54 per cent were sole authored. Based on 12 in‐depth interviews with women impact case writers, we use Acker's inequality regimes framework to understand invisible and socially constructed gendering of the UK's policy that is designed to evaluate research impact. In a knowledge‐intensive workplace dominated by men, the shape and degree of gendered bases of inequality, systemic practices, processes and controls result in sub‐optimal talent management and gendered knowledge. We call for university leaders to be proactive in addressing barriers that fail to support or recognize women's leadership of research impact.     

余英时中国文化重建思想述略

余英时先生是当今最有成就、最有影响力的中国史研究大家,他对中国学术文化传统之重建问题给予了高度的关注,并有着深刻的思考。余英时认为,中国问题乃是一个“全面的社会重建”的问题,而“社会重建同时也还是文化问题”。考察余英时的中国文化重建思想,对推动现阶段中国和谐社会之构建以及中国现代文化建设,无疑具有重要的启迪意义。余英时在其著述与论说中,主要关注三个方面的文化重建任务,即重建价值系统,重建人文学术,重建社会重心。     

The differential impact of COVID‐19 on the work conditions of women and men academics during the lockdown

That the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected the work conditions of large segments of society is in no doubt. A growing body of journalistic accounts raised the possibility that the lockdown caused by the pandemic has affected women and men in different ways, due mostly to the traditionally gendered division of labour in society. We attempt to test this oft‐cited argument by conducting an original survey with nearly 200 academics. Specifically, we explore the extent to which the effect of the lockdown on childcare, housework and home‐office environment varies across women and men. Our results show that a number of factors are associated with the effect of the lockdown on the work conditions of academics at home, including gender, having children, perceived threat from COVID‐19 and satisfaction with the work environment. We also show that having children disproportionately affects women in terms of the amount of housework during the lockdown.     

Narratives about Work and Family Life among Portuguese Academics

A qualitative study conducted with Portuguese academics of both genders was devised to better understand the interface between work and family life. The academics seemed to position themselves along two different narratives. The first pointed to work and family as complementary, while the second described the subordination of one dimension to the other. The family life cycle, particularly parenthood experiences, illustrates the different narratives. Gender differences were more visible in the case of academics who were parents of young children, with women presenting a diverse set of micro‐narratives on motherhood. The findings also showed the need to design less standardized career models.