Gender politics is a long-standing feature of universities, but since attempts at alleviating gendered inequality are well established (sometimes leading to complacency), and because gender is intersectional with other inequalities, the analysis of gender politics amongst students and academics is complex. Indeed, gender-related inequalities are far from resolved in higher education. Increased autonomy in public universities in many countries has been accompanied by changed governance regimes involving external stakeholders (‘boardism’) as well as massification of student intakes, new managerialism, and quality audits of teaching and research. Equality itself is frequently taken for granted, and external stakeholders often seek only ‘letter of the law’ compliance. Governments increasingly see higher education as a means of growing the knowledge economy, training graduates for the labour market and stimulating industrial innovation; with eroding inequality only stressed when it does not conflict with these three functions. The chapter explores four contexts of gender politics in universities: academic work, performativity and careers; leadership and leadership training; the classroom, sexual harassment and violence, and laddish behavior on campus; and finally the politics of large-scale collaborative, cross-cultural equality projects. Some future research agendas are also suggested.
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Front Matter
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PART I: THE UNIVERSITY, STATE AND SOCIETY
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PART II: POLITICAL ECONOMY AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
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PART III: PLANNING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION
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PART IV: REGULATION AND QUALITY
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PART V: THE POLITICS OF STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS
