Mission (im)possible?

Transcription

1 Mission (im)possible? Dual Career Services in Germany: Developments and Recent Discourse of Including Topic of Gender in Dual Career Counseling Marion Woelki & Kerstin Melzer (University ofkonstanz) 11th Annual Dual Career Conference Atlanta Content 1. The University of Konstanz 2. Dual career services in Germany 3. Dual Career Network Germany 4. Networking in the region 5. Gender gap and affirmative action 6. (Gender) effects on dual career support 7. Discussion 1

2 2

3 1. The University of Konstanz young : founded in 1966 small : happy: students (BA & MA) academic and non-academic personnel approx. 190 professors 3 big faculties (natural sciences, humanities and social sciences with 13 departments) excellent top level research promoting young researchers internationalization gender equality intensive dialogue 3

4 1. The University of Konstanz Impressions from campus The campus (including the sports center) 4

5 The entrance hall Research on campus: Libra 120 electron microscope 5

6 Lecture hall: Auditorium maximum The atrium of our Kinderhaus 6

7 Kinderhaus summer party Sports on campus 7

8 Sports on water (water sports center) Ch. Hartz Sports off campus: snow shoeing in the nearby Alps G. Kohl 8

9 Leisure time atmosphere in the courtyard 2. Dual Career Services in Germany - Dual career discourse started in the early 2000 years - Driving forces: Excellence Initiative & Audit Family-Fair University - Mutual stimulus - Huge varieties - Goals: recruitment, family-friendliness, promotion of female careers - Institutional integration: HR, rector s office, gender & diversity office, welcome center - Target groups: from for professors only to everybody welcomed 9

10 2. Dual Career Services in Germany December 2010: 26 dual career service units 2. Dual Career Services in Germany February 2013: 45 dual career service units 10

11 2. Dual Career Services in Germany Conclusions - Supporting dual career couples becomes more and more important for German universities. - It seems universities cannot afford to forgo the chances of dual career support any longer. but - The majority of the dual career services is neither an inherent part of the range of university services nor of the human resource politics. - Most universities still regard dual career support as an experiment and don t plan a sustained or long-term investment. 3. Dual Career Network Germany Dual Career Network Germany (DCNG) - Founded in Berlin in About 30 members - Goals - Sharpening the profile of German dual career services - Improving the level of professionalism - Providing an exchange platform for dual career counselors - Increasing the (inter-)national visibility of dual career programs - Increasing the attractiveness of Germany as a center of research 11

12 3. Dual Career Network Germany - Members of the DCNG 3. Dual Career Network Germany Code of Practice: Quality criteria for dual career services - Definition of dual career and target groups - General goals - Guidelines (confidentiality, protection of privacy) - Service portfolio and standard run of process - Management of expectations and quality management 12

13 4. Networking in the region Internationale Bodensee Hochschule (IBH) - A network of 30 universities in the Lake Constance region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) - Network project Promoting Dual Careers ( ) - Established help desks for couples at each institution - Tried to spread the idea of dual careers in their own organization - Events and marketing to win partners in the region - Result: too different conditions 4. Networking in the region - Committee for Gender and Diversity Affairs - Force antidiscrimination and diversity management in the organizations and within the IBH network - Goal: develop regional cross-border strategies for gaining personnel and to be able to offer a good work-life-balance and a family-friendly environment 13

14 4. Networking in the region 2careers - Dual career network with members from science and industry - Basic collaboration in dual career concerns - Collaboration high need for qualified personnel - Dual career = location factor - Still in its fledgling stage 5. Gender gap and affirmative action Leaky pipeline: from 50% (female students) to 20% (female professors) a. Causes of the gap - Long and precarious career paths in academy - Male norm of work and research conditions - Myth of incompatibility of (academic) career and family - Gap in the role of raising children and running a household - Missing perception of the potentials of women 14

15 5. Gender gap and affirmative action b. Individual measures to promote women at the University of Konstanz - Direct support - Grants - Financial support for scientific networking - Training, coaching, and mentoring - Indirect support - Support for parents (flexible child care, support of flexible work schemes) - Dual career support 5. Gender gap and affirmative action c. Structural measures to change the culture of the academy - Gender Code of Conduct - Rules for search committees - Central and faculty-specific targets (system of quotas) - Increasing gender awareness of leaders (training for leaders and senior staff) - Dual career policy 15

16 6.(Gender)effect on dual career support Psychological research project: (Niessen/Sonnentag et al., 2012) 3 sub-projects a. Panel study with 210 couples: Resources and burdens of dual career couples in academia b. Diary study with 134 couples: Coordination of labor and private life in daily routine c. Conception and evaluation of a work-life-training for dual career partners in academia 6.(Gender)effect on dual career support Panel study: Resources and burdens of dual career couples in academia - Linked lives: Does academic success depend on the partner? - Focus on the rush hour of life: junior scientists and their partners - High pressure through the device publish or perish - Time of big life decisions 16

17 6.(Gender)effect on dual career support Results - Success in academia depends first and foremost on a high investment of time. - Private obligations (child care, housekeeping, tax computation, birthday of the mother in law etc.) take time. - Men are more likely to consider private obligations as distracting while women are more likely to consider them as life-enhancing. - Career-oriented women have a positive effect on their male partners careers while on the other hand career-oriented men have a negative influence on their female partners careers. 6.(Gender)effects on dual career support Sociological research project: Mobility in academic couples Interaction of gender and partnership (Hinz et al., 2012) - Interviews with more than scientists of all levels who are living in a relationship - Design: factorial survey - Evaluation of hypothetical job offers which would require a relocation - Characteristics of the vignettes - Reputation of the university - Teaching duty - Infrastructure - Termination of the contract - Child care opportunities - Dual career support 17

18 6.(Gender)effects on dual career support Results - Male scientists focus more on their own career chances, while women seek mutual compromise - For female scientists, relocation disposition depends on the career opportunities of their male partner - Women are more disposed to follow their husband to a new location even if they don t have a job perspective of their own there In partnerships male careers seem to be leading Living in a partnership seems to block the career paths of women Dual career support can destroy careers of women 7. Discussion - Are the results specific for Europe? Do you find similar phenomena in the United States? - Howdo youdefine a dual career couple? What means career toyou? - Do you discuss who gets the support and who benefits from it (1st hire/2nd hire)? - Do you evaluate this issue? - If partners are at the same academic level what can you do for them? 18

19 Thank you for your attention! Marion Woelki University of Konstanz Head of the Equal Opportunities Office Kerstin Melzer University of Konstanz Dual Career Consultant 19