Gender Cultures in Research and Science: An Investigation at Birkbeck

This research focuses on career trajectories and experiences of Birkbeck academic and professional staff, with a focus on gender differences. Literature highlights that horizontal and vertical segregation in universities persist, and are deeply rooted in organisational structures. To better understand how individual career choices and work conditions interplay with the overarching organisational structure at Birkbeck, a research applying more in-depth methods (interviews, focus groups, and observations), has been conducted in 2014 and 2015. The findings highlight that differences between women and men exist, especially in relation to the management of their workload and to the tasks they are in charge of. Also, women are still subject to subtle discriminations and stereotypes that undermine their professional role and image. A gendered division of labour still exists inside and outside working places. Overall, these results ask for interventions at different levels of an organisation: the micro level where tasks and workloads are negotiated, and the sites where strategic decisions are made; also, it is necessary to raise awareness on gender issues at all levels and to push towards cultural change.