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Literature / resource Imported

Institutional Change and Organisational Resistance to Gender Equality in Higher Education: An Irish Case Study

Ireland · Galway · National · See the Ireland profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 92% 11/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Attempts to transform the gendered structures and cultures of higher education institutions have had limited success. This article focuses on one Irish university (pseudonym University A) where gender inequality was a major concern culminating in high-profile litigation. Using a

129 respondents
Online survey respondents

Details

Promoter
Margaret Hodgin, Pat O’Connor,Lucy-Ann Buckley — website
Power domain
Social Power
Methods / tools
Awareness-raising, Benchmarking
Region (NUTS)
IE04
Keywords
gender inequality, higher education, organisational resistance

Context

This case study examines one Irish university (pseudonym 'University A') where gender inequality was a major concern that culminated in high-profile litigation, set against a favourable national policy environment and local grassroots support.

Objectives

Using a feminist institutional approach, the study asks what changes and interventions were introduced to address gender inequality, and how these interventions were perceived by staff.

Activities

The methodology drew on the authors' personal knowledge of the local context, an analysis of University A's key gender equality-related actions and documents, and a thematic analysis of qualitative data from 129 respondents to an online survey.

Results

Positive changes were identified, alongside institutional resistance reflected in low ambitions and a focus on individualistic solutions. Qualitative data revealed resistance in the form of denial, assertions that the problem was already solved, appeals to meritocracy, and a focus on 'fixing the women' (and the men). Acceptance of gender equality as an organisational issue was expressed through criticism of the interventions as tokenistic 'window dressing' that did not impact culture and 'did not go far enough'.

Conclusions

Attempts to transform the gendered structures and cultures of higher education institutions have had limited success; the findings have implications for how gender inequality can be more effectively addressed in higher education.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k)
Time to results
Short (< 1 year)
Staffing & skills
Not specified in the source beyond institutional-level action: interventions were driven through University A's own gender equality-related actions and documents.

Conditions for success

  • A favourable national policy environment.
  • Local grassroots support within the institution.
  • Institutional gender equality-related actions and documented commitments, not merely rhetorical positioning.

Common failure modes

  • Denial that a problem exists.
  • Assertions that the problem is already solved.
  • Appeals to meritocracy as a reason not to act.
  • Focus on 'fixing the women' (and the men) rather than structures.
  • Tokenistic 'window dressing' interventions perceived as not impacting culture or not going far enough.

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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