Thamar M. Heijstra

Predictors of Gender Inequalities in the Rank of Full Professor

This article examines whether age, work-related, and family-related predictors explain differences in the academic advancement of women and men in Iceland. Survey data were analyzed by binary logistic regression. The findings put that women climb the academic career ladder at a slower pace than men. This finding puts one of the widely known excuses for the underrepresentation of women in full professor positions into jeopardy, namely that this is because of family responsibilities. Work-related variables explain some of the gender differences. The study shows that as promotion is slower among women, even if family-related variables are not negatively affecting the odds, the academic pipeline is leaking despite Icelands reputation for being at the forefront where gender equality issues are concerned.

Academic Career Making and the Double-Edged Role of Academic Housework.

ABSTRACT Internationalisation, competition and performance orientation are nowadays essential in the managing and financing of universities. This pattern has intensified with the austerity measures and fiscal consolidation that followed the financial crisis in 2008. This article examines the academic labour process and career making of academics from a gender perspective. Based on findings deriving from an Icelandic University, we argue that the austerity measures and increased focus on becoming one of the top universities in the world has changed the official responsibilities of academics. We show how ‘academic housework’ affects academic capital and how the amount of academic housework is unequally distributed between senior academics and newcomers. While the majority of academics conform to this contemporary academic system, marginalised groups put up some resistance but with limited success.

Explaining gender inequality in Iceland: what makes the difference?

This article examines the explanations offered by men and women, at different academic ranks, for the scarcity of women in full professorial positions in Icelandic universities. Data derive from interviews and a survey involving the total Icelandic academic population. We test three hypotheses: Firstly, academics will not see family responsibilities as explanation, secondly, women will more often refer to a male-dominated environment and men more often to the ‘pipeline’ metaphor. Thirdly, the views of full professor women will be comparable to that of academic men. We find that the impact of the national context is considerably less than that of the gendered academic organizational context. Men and women explain gender inequality within academia differently. Moreover, full professor women are less convinced by the male-dominated environment explanation than lower-ranked women. The article calls for the visibility of gendered patterns in order to make changes.

Autonomy and well-being among nordic male and female hospital physicians

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to analyze the level of autonomy of Nordic hospital physicians, to examine whether there is a noticeable gender difference, and to evaluate the relation between autonomy and the well-being of these professionals. PARTICIPANTS This quantitative study is based on 1697 questionnaires that were filled out by hospital physicians in Sweden, Norway and Iceland. METHODS The quantitative data are analysed statistically. Students independent sample T-test is used to identify significant gender differences between the means of the variables autonomy and well-being. The Chi-Square test of independence is used to obtain information on the relation between autonomy and the well-being of male and female physicians. RESULTS Nordic male physicians enjoy significantly more autonomy than their female colleagues but the average level of autonomy is not very high for either of the genders. Autonomy turns out to have a significant positive effect on the well-being of both male and female hospital physicians, but the effect is stronger among women. CONCLUSION Even though the recent economical crisis makes cutbacks in the health care system necessary, it is important to avoid drastic reorganizations which are aimed at improved efficiency, but threaten the autonomy and well-being of hospital physicians.

Testing the concept of academic housework in a European setting: Part of academic career-making or gendered barrier to the top?:

In the labour market women’s jobs have frequently been conceptually and literally tied to housework and hence thought of as unskilled and therefore undervalued. Although academic institutions have undergone changes, the fact that women still carry the main responsibility for domestic and caring tasks continues to follow them into the academic work environment. In this explorative study we focus on the gendered aspects of undervalued work in academia by examining how academic housework manifests itself in different academic contexts and how early career academics in six European countries contend with it. We will link the undervalued academic work to housework in a double sense. Firstly, we will discuss how domestic housework affects the working conditions of academic women and men differently in their early career. Secondly, we will approach academic work through the lenses of academic housework, hence making use of the notion of ‘housework’ in a transferred and more figurative meaning. The discussion is aimed at developing a new conceptual framework in the analysis of gendered academic careers. In this way the topic of academic housework, which seems to be accompanied by social taint, may become more easily discussable within the academic work environment.

The flipped classroom: Does viewing the recordings matter?:

The flipped classroom offers a new approach to student-centred teaching and learning by moving the lecture out of the classroom. Research on the topic reveals that the flexibility of viewing the recorded lectures at a time and speed that is convenient to the student is what students appreciate mostly in the flipped classroom. This article examines the viewing pattern of students regarding recorded lectures in a course that has been flipped. The findings reveal a decline in the number of students who view the recordings over the duration of the course semester. Furthermore, the findings support earlier research results revealing that women and older students rely more on recorded lectures than other students. In addition, the study shows that there is a positive correlation between viewing the recorded material and the final grade of students in the course. It is thus surmised that even if in-class activity is very important for the flipped classroom to work, the recordings do have additional value, which is reflected by higher final course grades for students who view them. The flexibility of viewing recordings more than once and at the most relevant and convenient time seems to increase students’ understanding, and is regarded an important asset of flipped classroom teaching.

Gender Budgeting in Iceland

Gender budgeting (GB) was introduced in Iceland in response to the worldwide financial crisis of 2008, as one of the methods to improve public governance at a state level and was enshrined in the Public Finances Act 2016. Following the initiative by the state, the City of Reykjavik began its own GB programme as did the largest academic public institution of the country, the University of Iceland. These initiatives are at different stages of the implementation process and have been received with various levels of enthusiasm. This chapter outlines the development of GB processes in Iceland at state, local government and public institutional level, and considers in particular the successes and hindrances relating to implementation.

Work-Related Health: Organizational Factors, Risk Assessment and Well-Being

Today, a large proportion of the population in Western societies is in the labor market. As absenteeism due to illness has reached such a level that it is now perceived as an economic problem, it is of major importance to map out the causes, prevent future absenteeism, and improve the health of employees. By discussing the job strain and the effort–reward imbalance models, this chapter provides some insight into the connection between the work organization and the well-being of its employees. The importance of risk assessment is discussed, as it provides a method for staff members to become aware of the organizational factors that affect their well-being. If absenteeism due to illness among workers can be reduced, it will have positive effects for everyone involved—not only for workers and their organizations but also for society as well.