Chapter 1 - Feminist Science and Technology Research
(German title: Feministische Naturwissenschafts- und Technikforschung)
Understanding through gender theories the barriers met by women engineers in Europe (German title: Barrieren von Ingenieurinnen in Europa mit Hilfe von Geschlechtertheorien verstehen)
Felizitas Sagebiel
A curriculum module on Gender Studies and Natural Science Helene Götschel, Robin Bauer
The feminist discourse on gene technologies and biotechnologies (German title: Der feministische Diskurs zu Gen- und Biotechnologien)
Brigitte Ratzer
No jam cooking in the laboratory (German title: Marmelade wird nicht im Labor gekocht)
Lisa Bolyos, Ruth Moser, Mimi Nievoll
How is the border negotiated between the technological and the social in Computer Science? (German title: Wie wird die Grenze zwischen Technischem und Sozialem in der Informatik verhandelt?)
Corinna Bath
Mobile women. A feminist critique of current methods of mobility data collection (German title: Mobile Frauen. Feministische Kritik an den gängigen Methoden zur Mobilitätserhebung)
Bente Knoll
Engendering in Engineering (German title: Engendering in Engineering. Technisches Konstruieren und Geschlecht)
Tanja Paulitz
Women in IT: Professional biographies and life themes (German title: Berufsbiographien und Lebensthemen von Frauen im IT-Bereich)
Marianne Tolar
Chapter 2 - Politics and Society
(German title: Gesellschaft und Politik)
Are women's politics being strengthened through internet use? (German title: St&aulm;kung frauenpolitischer Anliegen via Internet?)
Tanja Carstensen
Gender Balance as Reflection of Ukrainian Science Realities Okasana Sytar, Nataliya Taran, Vira Troyan, Olga Matychevskaya
Gender Analysis of Higher Technical Education in UkraineLilya Ponomarenko
Why we wish to uphold this congress as a women's space and how (German title: Warum wir den Kongress noch als Frauenraum wollen und wie. Ergebnisse einer Diskussion)
Jenny Schmithals
Gender orientations of Ukrainian women and their historical and mental causes (German title: Gender Orientierungen ukrainischer Frauen und ihre historischen und mentalen Gründe)
Kateryna Kobchenko
Gender Analysis of Influence of Family Social Phenomenon on Process of Women Formation in Science Alla S. Litvinko
Chapter 3 - The advancement of young researchers and didactics
(German title: Nachwuchsföderung und Didaktik)
When eterakete and evening star chat... Success factors in electronic mentoring (German title: Wenn eterakete und Abendstern chatten... Erfolgsfaktoren im elektronischen Mentoring)
Aglaja Popoff
A pupils competition addressing the International Women's Day (German title: Wettbewerb für Schülerinnen und Schüler zum Internationalen Frauentag)
Lisa Glagow-Schicha
The technology sniff box "Something is moving here!" (German title: Die Technik-Schnupperkiste "Da bewegt sich was!")
Iris Tinsel
Several approaches to training of male and female students Larysa Sklepova, Valentyna Stakhnevych, Svitlana Yashnyk
Formation of students sexual role identity Valentyna Stakhnevych
The small and the large: Electron microscopy in the Ada-Lovelace-Project (German title: Das Kleine und das Gro&suml;e: Elektronenmikroskopie im Ada-Lovelace-Projekt)
Barbara Kessler
Chapter 4 - Adressing the spheres of life, work and study
(German title: Arbeits-, Studien- und Lebenswelten)
dib and NUT: Discussing flexibility and diversity. What is it that we benefit from, what is profitable for enterprises? (German title: dib und NUT: Flexibilität und Diversity. Was nützt uns und was nützt den Unternehmen?)
Jülide Sünter, Eva-Maria Baumgardt, Tamara Krutschau
Creative academic writing (German title: Kreatives wissenschaftliches Schreiben)
Ingrid Dilger
Developing issues into projects. Methods for collecting and sorting of ideas (German title: Vom Problem zum Projekt. Ansätze zum Sammeln und Sortieren von Ideen)
Ruth Marzi
Gender Mainstreaming in curriculum development (German title: Gender Mainstreaming in der Lehrgangsentwicklung)
Elisabeth Hirsch
Women Founding Firms Or: Being paid for one's own brain work! (German title: Frauen Gründen Firmen Oder: Fürs eigene Denken bezahlt werden!)
Bente Knoll, Tamara Krutschau
Women's spaces in study programmes of technology: stuck in stigmatisation or take a chance? (German title: Frauenräume im Technikstudium: Stigmatisierung oder Chance?)
Ilona Horwath, Nicole Kronberger, Irmgard Wörtl
Taking over a running IT-project (German title: IT-Projekte im laufenden Betrieb übernehmen)
Gabriele Vierhuff
Changing structures in agriculture and its effects on migration in North-East Brazil. How are young women affected by these developments with regards to their educational motivation? (German title: Agrarstrukturwandel und Migration in Nordostbrasilien. Wie wirken sich diese Entwicklungen auf die Bildungsmotivation von jungen Frauen aus?)
Dagmar Fuhr
Chapter 5 - Exchanging experiences on intercultural cooperation
(German title: Interkultureller Erfahrungsaustausch)
Expanding your Sphere: 99 tips for communicating in international scientific working environments Katharina Kettner
Chapter 6 - Networking & networks
(German title: Vernetzung, Netzwerke
Topical issues of the upcoming FiNuT 2006 congress in Cologne. Philosophical salon on the motto "Taking stock: Justice" (German title: Schwerpunkte des Kongresses 2006 FiNuT in Kön. Philosophisches Cafe zum Motto "Bilanzraum: Gerechtigkeit")
Ira Assent, Martina Born, Ulrike Muthmann, Ulrike Schwanitz, Andrea Wulf
Chapter 7 -Topical issues from the fields of science and technology
(German title: Fachveranstaltungen aus Naturwissenschaft und Technik
User interfaces that are useful (German title: User Interfaces, die was taugen)
Maria Oelinger
Open Access Web-Publishing Claudia Koltzenburg
Chapter 8 - Other
(German title: Sonstiges
The tides of the Change (German title: Gezeiten Wechsel Jahre)
Dagmar Heymann
The reports
Chapter 1 - Feminist Science and Technology Research
(German title: Feministische Naturwissenschafts- und Technikforschung)
Understanding through gender theories the barriers met by women engineers in Europe Felizitas Sagebiel
The paper focuses on barriers which women engineers meet in Europe. Choosing an engineering degree course they will meet gendered prejudices, during studying these will not stop, but the amount and quality of prejudices differ from one country to the other. Also female students react to masculine cultures and structures with different coping strategies. Profession and career show deficits in work-life-balance and network structures. Theory of social construction of gender and engineering helps understanding barriers in EU-project WomEng in international comparison.
A curriculum module on Gender Studies and Natural Science Helene Götschel, Robin Bauer
Degendering Science (DGS) is a project which employs a different strategy to make the natural sciences more attractive for women and other underrepresented groups than other measures in this field that are simply encouraging women. The concept of DGS aims at changing and extending the contents and the very understanding of what the natural sciences are supposed to be. To teach this new understanding we developed a curriculum module on Gender Studies and Natural Science. Our concept is based on the insight that one of the main reasons why women do not feel comfortable within the natural and engineering sciences as they are being taught and carried out today is because social, historical and philosophical aspects are not considered a valid part of the disciplines themselves (Bart 2000). Underrepresented groups within the sciences like women and racial minorities tend to also be underprivileged groups within society at large. Therefore they are more likely to have a complex relationship towards science and technology, since they are less likely to profit as much from the benefits and more likely to be confronted by negative aspects of the technosciences than their more privileged counterparts. Thus they might have a heightened interest in being able to reflect social aspects of technosciences. One strategy then to create more inclusive natural sciences is to change the curriculum of the sciences as well as finding ways to bridge the gaps between the technosciences on the one hand and the humanities, cultural and social sciences on the other. DGS, having its emphasis on gender related issues, especially aims at building two way streets (Fausto-Sterling 1992) between gender studies and the natural sciences. At the intersection of the gender studies program, the faculties of the natural sciences, and the faculty of education (Institute of Science Education) we teach courses in ‘gender & science studies’ and develop a curriculum module dealing with ‘gender & science studies’. Our students come from gender studies, are future scientists, and future science teachers.
The feminist discourse on gene technologies and biotechnologies Brigitte Ratzer
The author is presently participating in a joint research project on ''The Post-Genomic Era: How does increasing complexity change the debate on genetics?'' The article gives a brief introduction to the feminist debate on genetic engineering and reproductive technologies from the 1980th to date. The diversity of approaches is outlined by the quotation of exemplary statements of relevant proponents. Furthermore a survey on twenty-five years of debate, its highlights and characteristics is given.
No jam cooking in the laboratory Lisa Bolyos, Ruth Moser, Mimi Nievoll
Sciences on rural areas just as rural areas themselves are characterized by conservative and moreover conserving structures constantly reproduced by the prevailing mode of interaction between theory (agricultural sciences) and practice. Patriarchally organized family farms are facing the seemingly unlimited expansion of industrialized agriculture, while the male dominated upper end of scientific hierarchy propagate the 'new life sciences'' as progressive.
But we argue that 'jam is not boiled down in the lab''- it needs the expert hands of women and men, farmers and gardeners, well informed on sawing and cultivating, harvesting and processing, marketing and consuming. Jam is the result of long term collected and developed knowledge, of cultural know-how and social competence.
It is not coincidence but strategy what science cares about and what it neglects. To understand this strategy and to break it down by introducing feminist alternatives, we can develop a ''different'' science, which will then sign responsible for its results and co-operate with agricultural and rural practice in a sustainable, a systemically understanding and intelligent way.
To give examples of what this science could look like, we have worked out three studies in the fields of agricultural sciences and landscape planning. Lisa Bolyos did a feminist analysis of agricultural sciences, conducted at the University of Applied Life Sciences, Vienna and the agricultural faculty of the Humboldt University Berlin. Ruth Moser researched on the meaning of women farmers laying their produce in stocks in the Western Austrian Walsertal. Mimi Nievoll worked out perspectives for urban self-sufficiency and women farmers’ self-determination, researched at the Viennese Karmelitermarkt.
How is the border negotiated between the technological and the social in Computer Science? Corinna Bath
Corinna DOT bath AT univie DOT ac DOT at This contribution analyzes how gender is involved in computer science as academic discipline. New concepts of interaction and social machines as well as old controversies in the history of the discipline are traced in order to explore the connection between the socio-technical divide and the structural-symbolic gender order.
Mobile women. A feminist critique of current methods of mobility data collection Bente Knoll
office AT knollszalai DOT at This article deals with the methods used in the field of traffic and transport planning to get information on the mobility and travel statistics. It criticises the establihed standardised questionnaires from a feminist point of view: the journey purposes, the reasons for travelling (e.g. "to and from work", "travelling on business", "education", "escort", "shopping", "personal business", "leisure") reflect on the existing gender relationship within our society: The varitey of a person's trips and journeys with caring responsibilities is not visible within these categories.
Engendering in Engineering Tanja Paulitz
tanja DOT paulitz AT tu-berlin DOT de The paper follows the proposition that technical and 'social' constructions are in a close mutual relationship in which gender is a significant category. It argues for an examination of the social construction of technical constructing as a gendered activity. The question is how technical constructing can be considered a gender-coded human productivity and what ideas of gender are assigned to it. The proposed research perspective focuses especially on possible transformations in the concepts of today's technical constructing.
Women in IT: Professional biographies and life themes Marianne Tolar
marianne DOT tolar AT media DOT tuwien DOT ac DOT at
WWW-ICT is a European project (2002-2004) that was initiated to investigate the underrepresentation of women in the ICT-sector and to propose pathways to improve equal opportunities, women's participation in the ICT labour market and the quality of life in ICT professions. As part of the project biographical interviews with 107 women from seven European countries were conducted. To categorise the various experiences without loosing the richness of the material we identified "life story patterns" according to the women's motivation and more generally understood "life themes". In the article the stories of three women from Austria are presented exemplifying three life story patterns that we found particularly interesting.
Chapter 2 - Politics and Society
Are women's politics being strengthened through internet use? Tanja Carstensen
carstensen AT tu-harburg DOT de http://www.tu-harburg.de/agentecThis paper deals with the question whether the internet can strengthen feminist issues. Therefore the internet is considered as social constructed and negotiable. The results of a research project called "E-Empowerment. The practical use of the internet in feminist networks" are resumed and some suggestions to structure the unsorted and complex information in the net are discussed, because this seems to be the biggest problem for feminist internet users. The idea behind it is to search for concepts to construct and design the internet in a way which can better support feminists in their political activities.
Gender Balance as Reflection of Ukrainian Science Realities Okasana Sytar
spirulina2003 AT ukr DOT netNataliya Taran
wisukr AT mail DOT kar DOT netVira Troyan
tarantul AT univ DOT kiev DOT uaOlga Matychevskaya
matysh AT yahoo DOT comAll over the world gender studies is a subject increasing in value in the scientific world. Even though this field is not considered quite as exotic and strange as before but it is necessary to recognise that women and gender research is still marginal area in Ukrainian science. The ambiguity of the situation is caused by the domination of patriarchal power structures and traditions. Patriarchal traditions resist social development, restrain its dynamics and negatively influence the development of personality with a new world view.
According to the statistical data, obtained during questioning of the gifted senior pupils, the gifted girl's self-appraisal is often underestimated because of parent's patriarchal stereotypes. Parent's opinion on daughter talents are more significant for self-consciousness of girls than their own achievements and that is why patriarchal parent's ideology restricts the girl's progress and forced them to refuse from getting high education and making career.
The new socio-economic conditions in Ukraine have an influence on self-determination of youth. Thus the transition from command-administrative to market economy gave rise to certain social problems, in particular, to the problem of the choice by 17-years old young people of the future profession in which could guarantee harmonic combination of both payment and prestige. The gender aspects of the professional self-determination and self-realization are very interesting. The results of opinion polling which was held by the Women Centre of Moscow M. Lomonosov University among 17-years old pupils of secondary schools and technical schools are the following. The girls give preference to professions of scientists, lecturers and teachers, while the majority of boys give preference to profession which do not require the special professional skills and intensive brain work, but are high-paid.
Our research also demonstrate that women component predominates in intellectual sphere - the percentage of girls is higher among those pupils who dream about scientific career. Although both girls and boys have a desire to get the high education, the quota of girls among those who want to get the scientific degree of the doctor of science is higher. Girls' predominance among those who choose brain work and self-realization in science is the evidence of gender stereotypes modification in the whole society and in the scientific sphere in particular. Our data demonstrate a strongly pronounced motivation of young girls for creative research in science and confirm the leading role of women in Ukrainian society in the spheres of family pattern, financing and getting the high education.
Gender equality is universally recognized to be the important factor of modern society sustainable development. The ideology of young people, especially of gifted youth, intending to be engaged in scientific research, is to be formed on gender equality idea. But the statistical analysis of the questionnaire design concerning gender concept has shown that overwhelming majority of the pupils (85%) in Ukraine have no slightest notion of gender or gender relations. At the same time it became obvious that schoolgirls are more advanced in studies and their motivation for scientific research is higher. But realization of schoolgirls intentions for getting high education and making scientific career involves difficulties. Despite the fact that girls make up majority of advanced pupils as well as majority of high school students (51%) statistical analysis reveals gender changes and gender asymmetry in further career development. There is only 14% of women among doctors of science and only 4% - among the members of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. These data show that our society loses woman's elite potential in the sphere of the scientific activity.
Meanwhile gender statistical analysis reveals feminisation tendency in research-scientific sphere in Ukraine. The progress in carrier of the higher-educated women is noticeable at the leading institution of higher education in Ukraine - Kyiv National Taras Shevcnenko University. The proportion of men and women among the total number of lecturers is approximately equal (52 and 48% accordingly) (Figure 1). Women constitute the majority of scientific staff (58%) and tend to be concentrated in the Ph.D. position.
sytarfig1.jpg
Gender analysis of lecturing and research staff in Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
The detailed comparative analysis of the qualification characteristics in 1999 and 2004 shows, firstly, the prevalence of men's component, especially at the higher qualification level - among the Doctors of science and, secondly, the stable tendency to raising women efficiency in scientific area. The dynamics of qualitative characteristics studied depends on the field of science (Figures 2, 3).
sytarfig2.jpg
The proportion of women and men among lecturers Doctors of Science (DrSc) at the different faculties of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University 1999
sytarfig2a.jpg
The proportion of women and men among lecturers Doctors of Science (DrSc) at the different faculties of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University 2004
At the faculties of exact and natural sciences (which traditionally are considered to be "men's" faculties) men make up 90% of the lecturers. The proportion of women - Candidates of science at this faculties was not changed during the period studied and constitutes approximately 12%. In 1999 the proportion of women-Doctors of science at Physical and Radiophysical faculties was 2 and 4% accordingly, but from 2004 there is no female component among Doctors of science at these faculties. Women doctors of science are also absent at the faculties of Cybernetics and Geology, while at the faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics their proportion is hold at the level of 4%.
At the faculties of natural sciences (Geography, Chemistry and Biology) the proportion of women among lecturers is higher, 21, 34 and 35% respectively. The 1,5-fold increase in the number of the women Candidates of Science (Figure 4) is observed at these faculties. In 2004 the female component reaches 32, 64 and 58% correspondingly. The number of women doctors of science at the Chemical faculty during the period studied was decreased twice, while at the Biological faculty it was increased twice making up 9 and 20% from the total number of Doctors of science accordingly.
sytarfig3.jpg
The proportion of women and men among lecturers Candidates of Science (PhD) at the different faculties of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University 1999
sytarfig3a.jpg
The proportion of women and men among lecturers Candidates of Science (PhD) at the different faculties of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University 2004
Among the faculties of Social sciences and humanities the faculties of History, Philosophy and Law are considered to be „men's“ the proportion of women among lecturers consists of only 21, 27 and 31%. The proportion of women Candidates of Science at these faculties was not changed and equals 31, 41 and 45% accordingly. The proportion of women doctors of science was not changed at the faculty of History (8%) and was decreased at the faculties of Philosophy (from 41 to 36%) and Law (from 50 to 33).
The statistical analysis shows that the scientific activity of women during last years was considerably increased in the spheres of economy, psychology, journalism and international relations. For example the proportion of women Candidates of Science at the Economical faculty was increased from 50 in 1999 up to 73% in 2004. The proportion of women - Doctors of Science at the faculties of Psychology, International Relations and Journalism was increased 3-, 4- and 4-fold accordingly.
The data presented depicted that in conditions of economic crisis in Ukraine when people are disintegrated and are forced to solve their problems independently the new ways of joint scientific activity are needed. It is women who can play an important role in consolidation, because women's activity in Ukraine, in contrast to feminisation traditional in Europe, has social orientation and is aimed at realisation of the maternal function - humanisation of the society and integration of interests.
According to the psychological data, the main features of both men and women scientists are the same - ability to product new ideas, hard-working and persistence. New gender stereotypes of scientific professional activity and cooperation, based on the optimal connection of particularities (women scientists are more opened, friendly, oriented on communication, while men are more strongly orientated on success, have autonomic mode of thinking and act more rationally, etc) should be formed. But the model and image of the modern women-scientist is not accepted unanimously. While woman is making professional career an intrinsic conflict arises between the image of a woman and of a professional. It is one of the reasons why among the Doctors and Professors both in western countries and Ukraine the percent of the lonely or divorced women is substantial. The problem is deeper in Ukraine, where the choice between making career in science and family functions (marriage, children) depends on man's ability to ensure financial support of the family, his attitude to family duties and willingness to help in children upbringing It is likely that the standards of family relations are progressively changed in Ukraine and our date showed this positive changes.
Statistical and analytical investigation in Ukrainian scientific sphere offered for your attention in this paper was performed by the members of Non Governmental Organisation 'Women in Science'.
The mission of our organization is:
- to encourage professional career and social activity of women-scientists, to improve their social position, to involve them in the process of the democratization of science and society;
- to change the society stereotype mentality concerning the second role of women in science.
The Ukrainian non-governmental organisation 'Women in science' performed the fundamental scientific and social investigations in the Science and Higher Educational Sector in Ukraine. We are greatly interested in cooperating with international women's organizations to take part in international 'Women in science' funding programs.
Gender Analysis of Higher Technical Education in UkraineLilya Ponomarenko
ponomarenko AT modus DOT net DOT ua, ucava AT ukr DOT netThe problems of gender analysis in Higher Technical Education are very important. On the base of National Technical University of Ukraine 'Kiev Polytechnic Institute' was established Centre of Gender Education in 2001. It was created according to the Memorandum between the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine and 'KPI'. The Memorandum foresees joint activities on gender component implementation into the educational programs in higher technical educational system. The Centre held the international conference 'Gender Component in the Structure of Higher Technical Education and Natural Sciences' (2002).
The System of specialists training in information technologies for gender research and educational program was created, (more than 200 specialists from 14 regions of Ukraine are trained), the virtual library on gender education was completed (over 2000 items), the project of the Canadien-Ukrainian Gender Fund 'Information Support o Gender Education Implementation in Ukraine' was completed.
Today in Ukraine there is a significant gender inequality and imbalance in relations between men and women in different spheres of a public life, in particular, in spheres of a science and education. In our state there is a number of gender problems of a labor market, in particular, professional segregation, i.e. division of a labor market into male and female ; smaller salary of women (for 2000 the average salary of women is 71% from the salary of men); unemployment. All these factors strengthen gender asymmetry of the Ukrainian families.
Taking into account the European choice of Ukraine, and a situation in the country after Orange Revolution, introduction of a gender mainstreaming principle in a state policy is an condition of its integration into the European community. Such way of our country is determined by fact that in a democratic society the situation when half of population is not take part in decision-making which influence all society is impossible.
Ukraine has signed the Declaration of the United Nations of 2000. Therefore it has undertaken obligation to promote becoming of gender equality and to give more opportunities to women, in particular, to overcome a gender inequality on all educational levels up to 2015.
The Law on gender equality accepted in the first reading in December 2004 Supreme Soviet of Ukraine will promote this process. In this law for the first time attempt of gender examination is made and is shown, that some positions of the Constitution of Ukraine, concerning positions of human rights, women and families require completion in view of modern world tendencies.
In realizing of the woman status in the a modern society of Ukraine great value have the first Ukrainian conferences of the female organizations the Union of Ukrainian women, the Female Society, the Union of women of Ukraine.
From the beginning of the 90 years of XX there arise numerous Centers on gender researches in Ukraine. First of them became the Odessa Center of Gender researches (1992) created on the basis of the Odessa academy of food technologies and the Kharkov Center of Gender researches (1992), created on the base of faculty of philosophy of the Kharkov state university. Further another centers have been created: The Ukrainian Female Center of the information and social and economic adaptations (1995), the Information and advisory Female Center (1995), the Kiev research and advisory gender center (1996), the Tavrijsky Center of Gender researches (1997), the Sumy Gender Center (1998), the Kiev institute of gender researches (1999), the Kiev scientific - educational gender center (1999), the Research center 'Woman and the Society' (1999), the Center of gender researches (the Ternopol state university, 2002). Now in Ukraine there are 22 Centers of gender researches which carry out numerous research, educational and publishing functions: development of training courses and textbooks, the publishing of scientific magazine 'Gender research', the help in political, social and ecological adaptation of women in conditions of transformation of the Ukrainian society, search of ways of overcoming of discrimination of women in social, cultural and political life, research of connection of a gender and language, holding conferences and seminars on questions of gender equality.
Attraction of attention of scientific community to gender problems, promoted of some monographies:
T.Melnik. A gender policy in Ukraine. 1999
L.Smoljar. Gender democracy – strategy of 21 centuries (1995-2000). Odessa, 2000
I.Zherebkina. The Ukrainian woman in a transition period: from social movements to politics. Kharkov, 1999
N.Lavrinenko. The woman: self-realization in family and a society. Gender Aspects. Kiev, 1999
T. Zhurzhenko. Social reproduction and a gender policy in Ukraine. Kharkov, 2001
Levchenko. Rights of women: the contents, the condition and prospects of development. Kharkov, 2001
O.Rybak-Malanchuk. The Ukrainian female researches: a historiography and historiosophy. Lvov, 1999
There where written some dissertations: 'The women as a cultural symbol' (O. Lutsenko), 'Feministic epistemology as a variant of a postnonclassical science' (V. Gajdenko), 'Higher women education in Ukraine' (K. Kobchenko)
In Ukraine a gender education is spreading in the last year too. On the base of KPI The Center of Gender Education was established in 2001 in according to the Memorandum between United Nations Organizations and KPI. In this center the Project 'Information support of introduction of gender education in Ukraine', in particular, promoted at support of the Ukrainian-Canadian gender fund is carried out.
The training courses are developed and introduced into educational process of many high schools:
The Odessa Academy of Food Technologies: 'A history of the women's movement in Ukraine' (G. Troshchenko, S. Smoljar 1993)
The Kharkov State University: 'The theory and history of feminism' (I.Zherebkina, 1993-1994), 'Problems of gender in the modern political theory' (I. Zherebkina, 1995)
Sumy Pedagogical University: 'The women's movement of Ukraine', 'Gender socialization', 'Gender pedagogics' (1997)
The Lvov National University: 'The woman in the cultural-historical epoch of the Near East and Europe' (O. Rybak-Malanchuk 1998)
The Nikolaev University: 'Gender education as a basis of construction of a civil society' (O. Ljubarskaja, 2000)
Kiev-Mohyla Academy: 'Gender researches in sociology' (2000)
The Poltava State Pedagogical University: 'Introduction in the gender theory' (2001)
The Kiev National University named by T.G. Shevchenko: 'The Gender and culture: experience of a deconstruction of traditional methodology' (1999-2000)
Zhitomir State Pedagogical University: 'Gender roles and gender conflicts' (2001)
Gender asymmetry of the rights in higher education spheres of work is shown in discrimination of women already at a stage of employment. The woman is considered by the employer as the defective worker. By virtue of that she is a potential source of charges and organizational complexities in connection with an exit in a maternity leave. Because of it she frequently should agree on smaller salary. Besides the woman is essentially limited in a choice because of necessity to work close with the house or the incomplete working day.
The basic resource of a postindustrial society is the human capital. The knowledge based society gets new quality. Therefore, the education in the modern world is the major element of development of human potential development. The education, first of all promotes formation of social and cultural aspects of an environment.
At beginning of 90th years 20 century the process of change of political and economic base of the Ukrainian society started. An economic crisis and its consequences have essentially affected transformation of educational sphere. The special attention is necessary for giving change of system of priorities of education in such direction that have been used knowledge and talents of each citizen that women as well as men accepted active participation in reconstruction of the Ukrainian society.
According to UNESCO, the level of literacy of adult population of Ukraine is high enough. So, the level of literacy of women and men in the age from 15 years in 2001 was equal 99,5%, and among youth till 15 years – 99,9%. For comparison, in Poland the similar data is – 99,7% and 99,8% accordingly.
The policy of transition to stable development of a society and construction of the knowledge based society, promoted carrying out of education reform. So, the law of Ukraine about education has determined education financing at a level of 10% of the gross output. But, in the real budget of our country it is about 4%. Ukraine considerably concedes to the countries of EU on parameters of the maintenance of education. Because of a low level of financing the majority of teachers of high schools does not have opportunities to work for increasing of a of professional level. So, at the beginning of 2001 in many high technical schools almost 40% of teachers had no scientific degree. Moreover, 70% of teachers of the high qualification have age more than 55 years. Approximately 30% of teachers do not know computer literacy, and access to the Internet has 46%.
As the positive moment of development of our society even in conditions of social and economic crisis the tendency of comprehension was kept by youth of necessity to have higher education. In the condition of falling living standard the number of students in higher educational institutions from 1990 to 2002 has increased in 2-3 times.
(Non-)Sustainability – Non-Competence
In 2003 in high schools of Ukraine it was trained about 2 million students, from them of 54,7% - women. But, if in high humanitarian schools there were about 70% of women, in high technical schools – only 15% were trained. Here we can see such typical gender stereotypes as division of trades on 'male' and 'female', women is incompetent in the engineering science. Consequence of it is the underestimated self-estimation of the women students. Therefore the society cannot use their knowledge, skills and experience to the full.
Now we notice increasing of a role of the woman in the sphere of the higher technical education. As an example we shall result the data reflecting a gender situation in NTUU 'KPI'. On the statistical data for the period 1898 - 2002, number of the women having the best professional qualification in engineering science (the doctor of sciences) has made 30. Among them there are Deans of Departments Krasnoproshina, the organizer of Department of Informatics and Computer Engineering, the First Dean from 1986 to 1996); Bezvesilna, Chair of Instruments of Precision Mechanics Technology of instrument Making, Department of Instrument Making Instruments; Bondar – the organizer and Chair of Chemical Technology (1974 – 1981); Ponomariova, Chair Proceising of Polymer; Putyta, Chair of Theoretical Mechanics.
For last three years the percentage of women doctors of sciences has insignificantly increased on 2%. Such dynamics is connected by that in our institute some new Humanitarian Departments have been formed. At these Departments number of the women having the higher professional qualification is more. The analysis of the statistical data shows that the number of the women having the higher professional qualification in the field of engineering science at technical University (KPI) is much lower than at academy institution of science. Such distinction is connected by that in technical University of Ukraine the academic load on the teachers so big, that they practically have not enough time for increasing of the professional level. Certainly, in this situation the woman - teacher is in more difficult position, than the man.
It is interesting to compare the data of Tables 1 and 2. We can see that a percentage of number of women and men among of teachers at Technical University NTUU 'KPI' and Classical University KNU named by Shevchenko approximately equally. It is connected by that 'Kiev Polytechnic Institute' has got the status of University and has expanded its number of Humanities Departments.
Percentage of women and men among teachers NTUU 'KPI'
||women|men|
||40%|60%|
|Candidates of sciences|20%|80%|
|Doctors of sciences| 5%|95%|
Percentage of women and men among teachers of the Kiev National university
||women|men|
||41%|59%|
|Candidates of sciences|37%|63%|
|Doctors of sciences| 15%|85%|
Today in Ukraine the status of the woman, certainly, has changed. But, in Technical University the part of the women occupying the supreme administrative posts remains to the lowest. So, in the NTUU 'KPI' for last 3 years the percent of women deans has not changed 3%, assistants to deans has increased for 12%. Such dynamics is connected by that the number of the given posts including due to creation of new Department has increased. The number of Chairs also has not changed 5%, and scientific secretaries has increased on 1% (Table 3).
The Percentage of women in management of NTUU 'KPI'
|deans|3%|
|Assistants to deans| 20%|
|Managing faculties| 5%|
|Scientific secretaries 3%|
Specificity of Technical University in Ukraine is connected by that there are Chairs as of natural-science disciplines (for example, chair of the general and theoretical physics) as technical disciplines. (Table 4).
The Percentage of women on natural sciences faculty and on technical faculty at the NTUU 'KPI'
||women|men|
|Natural sciences faculty| 48%| 52%|
|Technical faculty| 8%| 10%|
Thus, our researches pointed out that in Ukraine there is not gender parity in the different spheres of life, particular in the Higher Technical Education. But today, in our society new understanding of achievement of gender equality and improvement of the status of the women is formed.
Now we notice increasing of a role of the woman in the sphere of the higher technical education. As an example we shall result the data reflecting agender situation in NTUU 'KPI'. Here we can see such typical gender stereotypes as division of trades on 'male' and 'female', women is incompetent in the engineering science. Consequence of it is the underestimated self-estimation of the women-students. Therefore the society cannot use their knowledge, skills and experience to the full.
Why we wish to uphold this congress as a women's space and how (German title: Warum wir den Kongress noch als Frauenraum wollen und wie. Ergebnisse einer Diskussion)
Jenny Schmithals
jenny DOT schmithals AT web DOT de This paper summarizes a discussion that focused the meaning of the congress as a place where only women meet and network. Most of the participants described how they profit by the talks and the atmosphere at the congress. They see the congress as an opportunity for exchange – concerning debates on gender-specific structural inequalities as well as on professional knowledge. Although the congress has already a high quality and is worthy for the participants, it would be good to make results more public. A strategy for the improvement of public relations could be to open some talks for the publicity – under the condition that those talks wouldn’t be held at the same place (in the same building where the main congress is carried out) but somewhere else in the city.}
Gender orientations of Ukrainian women and their historical and mental causes(German title: Gender Orientierungen ukrainischer Frauen und ihre historischen und mentalen Gründe)
Kateryna Kobchenko
kobchenko AT bigmir DOT net The report is devoted to the question of main gender orientations of Ukrainian women and gender structure and changers of our society according to the statistics dates and in the context of historical traditions of gender relations in Ukraine. It is shown the position of women in the traditional society in Ukraine, that was higher as in some neighboring countries and women plaid some role in cultural and social life. There are analyzed some tendencies, that influence the orientations of Ukrainian woman and of the society in the hole today.
Gender Analysis of Influence of Family Social Phenomenon on Process of Women Formation in Science Alla S. Litvinko, Ph.D.
alla AT kiev DOT ldc DOT net, litvinko AT ukr DOT net Gender is the model concept which determines a place and a role of women or men in such public institutes as family, school, politics, economy, culture and reflect social and cultural aspects of sex. In Ukraine the gender concept was spread later, than in the world, after 80 years of 20 century. Sociological researches in Ukraine have shown, that 86% of young people in the age of 16-17 years do not know a word 'gender'. At the same time 1/3 of married couples the representation about the important functions of family are not coordinated. The new understanding of gender in our country considers this concept as a dynamic product of culture which arises in dialogue of the person and ideological system of the given society.
In understanding of gender the concept of gender stereotypes, i.e. sets of the standard norms and judgments which concern the status of the man and the woman, norms of their behavior, motives of their acts and character of requirements is especially important.
In public opinion of Ukrainian society a number of stereotypes, according to which : there are male and female fields of activity; a science is a man's field of activity; the woman by virtue of intellectual restrictions is capable to carry out only some kinds of works; motherhood – not the right, but a duty. Unfortunately, such position proves to be true a real situation in Ukraine. In such scientific areas as the physics, mathematics, techniques, geology the majority of workers are men, and in social, psychological and humanitarian is more occupied women. The biology and chemistry are considered as 'neutral' areas because in them as men as women is occupied fifty-fifty. Such distribution of male and female potential in turn fixes a public stereotype that such situation is normal. As a result the woman vision of the world, system of values, personal prospect, appeared behind frameworks interpretation opportunities of men. Therefore, the most simple strategy of interpretation of female experience became practically full ignoring.
Thus, it appears, that to men the properties promoting achievements in various spheres of professional work, whereas to women moral values are attributed. In a result there is an impression, that men have more than opportunities in achievement of high professional results, than at women.
This stereotypes influence motivation, system of values, a level of uneasiness, confidence of, a choice of career that prevents women to estimate adequately own abilities and to believe in the opportunities. All this becomes the reason of alarm, depression, decrease in a self-estimation and in results a stress.
Presence of traditional gender stereotypes (zabobony) according to which private life of the woman - person is ignored also is inherent in the Ukrainian society. During public transformations which occur in our society, these conservative - patriarchal inherently stereotypes become especially visible. In mass consc
iousness there is a norm, that the woman loses the feminity cultural traditions do not approve women whom managed to achieve the work growth, than to their husbands. Now in Ukraine we notice a sharp aggravation of some the social problems generating change of valuable reference points of a society. There was a global stratification on rich and poor, that promotes infringement of equal access up to the social sphere. On this background there is a reanimation of traditional patriarchal ideology in a question of applicability of the woman and extremely widespread there is a slogan of returning of the woman in the family. Such moods, basically among men, are based on a seeming opportunity to solve at once some the problems: to lower a share of female work in a social production in conditions of probable unemployment, to have a stable conditions of life, and also to keep the basic gender role in family 'main getter'. This approach results in strengthening of the crisis phenomena in family because offers more primitive way of the decision of a problem, than to provide self-realization of the woman in a society.
For destruction of gender stereotypes it is necessary to train young women to express itself not through 'Another' (the man, the father, etc.), but through designing of own individuality. For realization of it in Ukraine there exist the certain preconditions. The carried out sociological research shows, that 25% of women dream to be at home and to bring up children, 60% prefer a combination of normal family and professional work, 15% - are adjusted only on career. Moreover, sociologists mark, that 14% of schoolboys consider that the leader in his family is the father, 46% - mother, 40% - parity.
Gender asymmetry of the rights in scientific spheres is shown that the discrimination of women starts already from a stage of employment. The woman is considered by the employer as the defective worker. By virtue of that she is a potential source of charges and organizational complexities in connection with an exit in a maternity leave. Because of she frequently should agree on smaller salary. Besides the woman is essentially limited in a choice because of necessity to work close with the house or the incomplete working day (Table 1)
Number of the scientists who have protected theses for a doctor's degree on engineering science, depending on age.
|age|women|men|
|Up to 30| 4%| 1%|
|31-35|| 6%|
|36-40|8%| 12%|
|41-45|10%| 29%|
|46-50|8%| 30%|
|51-55|32%| 26%|
|56-60|38%| 28%|
|61-65|| 3%|
|66-70|| 1%|
|70+||1%|
If to track influence of the basic stereotypes which function in scientific sphere of Ukraine it is possible to draw the following conclusions. Young modern girls (age till 30 years) realize themselves as the person and aspire to reach significant work growth. In comparison with young men of this age, they protect on 4% of percent of more theses for a doctor's degree. In the age of 31 – 35 years which is considered for Ukrainian limiting for creation of family and a birth of children, professional growth is minimal. Such disbalance is connected, from our point of view that a gender stereotype of our society 'the woman first of all is the mother' plays a main role. When employment of the woman by mainly family duties is reduced (36 years) the tendency of increase in number of women which have reached significant professional results is observed. Let's note also, that in the age of 51 – 60 years quantity of theses for a doctor's degree protected by women, more, than at men: in the age of 51-55 years excess on 6%, and in the age of 56 – 60 years - on 10%. Proceeding from realities of development of our society, we count, that such growth of number of woman in scientific the top skills is connected by that at this age the woman has the minimal duties to children. Thus enough of time for realization of as persons in a professional field of activity is released. This result on engineering science as a whole coincide with the similar data for natural sciences that emphasizes the general laws for all society.
The basic formal conditions of allocation of a science of Ukraine have been created from 1991. First of all, all scientific institutes which were in the territory of Ukraine, have been transferred under jurisdiction of the state and the minimal legal base which has kept scientific potential has been generated, is started reorientation to the decision of national, social and economic problems of the country.
In this situation there are basic changes in scientific sphere. So, in 1994 there was a landslide reduction of volumes of financing of a science, but despite of it, on a quantitative and professional level the scientific potential of Ukraine has remained at a level of standards of the countries of Europe. During this period of the minimal parameters the part of the women occupied in scientific-technological sphere has reached to 42%. But, already in 1996 parameters of Ukraine on a level of development of scientific and technical potential appeared outside the European standards. The indicator of scientific and technical development of EU member countries which determines number of the experts who are carrying out researches and development in an aggregate number occupied in national economy, in 1999 has made for Ukraine 6.3, that in 2.2 times is lower, than in Germany.
During 1994 – 1999 the tendency of reduction of number of the scientific staff is kept. But rates of reduction of number of men are much higher than science officers, than women. It has led to increase in number of women in sphere of scientific-technological activity on 45% by 1999. Such 'feminization' of a science in Ukraine has taken place not because the number of the women has increased, wishing to be engaged in scientific activity, but due to reduction of number of the men, wishing to do a scientific career. I.e., there was a reduction in the social status of sphere of scientific activity and a significant part of men – science officers were passed to more prestigious social spheres.
Besides emigration of science officers has received force. So, with 1995 on 2002 from Ukraine 276 doctors of sciences have emigrated. In these conditions opportunities for increase work growth of women and as consequence, activisation of their scientific work have appeared. During 1991 – 1999 among women – science officers the number of doctors of sciences has increased for 46% though the first level of scientific qualification (Ph. D) has decreased for 3% that testifies about nonprestige scientific work among youth.
Because of historically developed circumstances science as the sphere of human activity was generated in general by men. In consequence of this fact specifically man's recognition of the reality which is focused mostly on reason, not on feelings, on rational instead of irrational, on abstract instead of concrete, was reflected. Thus has appeared, that other aspect of human activity inherent in a female half of a society, was not enough realized in the methodology of science, system of its values and results. The question about this disproportion and importance for mankind progress of inclusion of 'female' thinking in process of cognition was discussed from XIX by Nikolay and Elena Roerichs, N.G.Chernyshevsky, V.I.Vernadsky.
In connection with this the question about new level of scientific results which we can achieve if the parity of these approaches in scientific outlook will be restored becomes critically important.
Perhaps, this question arises not casually at the given stage of development of physical representations when practically all scientific community recognizes necessity of probability modification of a determinism principle and changing of deterministic style of thinking in a science to probability style. New understanding of a role of statistical regularities in the nature, application of probability-theoretic concepts have essentially changed of scientific thinking, having made its more flexible. On the basis of understanding of universality and general character of probability style of thinking there was possible a synthesis of continuous and discrete, stability and variability.
The comprehension of order in a casual variety of complex system elements is the essence of probability style of the thinking determining today 'the philosophical face' of epoch. So, in the collection named 'Probability revolution', using materials of many scientific directions J.Haking proclaimed that revision of determinism is one of the most revolutionary changes in the field of human idea.
In view of above-stated the given approach can be closer to female type of perception, which is less rational and more intuitive, rather than man's. So, there is a necessity of its use for reception of essentially new understanding about the construction of Universe.
It is interesting that in this process such social phenomenon, as family can play the important role. In some cases it is the space where the creative potential of the person is most adequately formed and realized.
The history of a science knows many examples of such unions in which absence the received scientific results of both could become much less significant. These are families of like-minded chemists Antoine and Marie Lavoisier, physicists Pierre and Marie Curie, Paul and Tatyana Ehrenfest, Frederic and Irene Joliot-Curie, Albert Einstein and Mileva Marich, Alexander Leipunsky and Anthonina Prihotko, physiologists Carl and Gerty Cori, historian Michael Grushevsky and ethnographer Katherina Grushevskaja, humanists Vladimir and Natalia Vernadskije, historians Natalia Polonskaja-Vasilenko and Nikolay Vasilenko, biologists Marie and Dmitry Zerovy, mathematicians Tereza Vyvrot and Nikolay Homenko. In these families creative scientific potential the woman was realized at most, because family represents, first of all stable structure consisting of the equal on intellect partners.
ehrenfestpt.jpgP. Ehrenfest and T. Afanasjeva-Ehrenfest
The talented mathematician and the physicist, the professor of the Second Moscow University Tatyana Afanasjeva was born in Kiev (Ukraine) on November, 19, 1876. She was mathematically educated on pedagogical courses of female St.-Petersburg grammar schools (1896) and on the Supreme Female (Bestuzhev) courses (1900). She trained also at universities of Goettingen and Vienna (1902-1904). It became possible due to in 1893 the Prussian government has issued the decision permitting to attend lectures to women.
Together with the husband, known physicist-theorist P.Ehrenfest, in 1907-1912 Tatjana organized seminar for young physicists of Petersburg. In 1912-1964 she lived in Leiden (Holland), however periodically taught in higher educational institutions of the USSR (Simpheropol pedagogical institute (1927-1928), the Second Moscow University (1931), Agrarian-industrial institute (Vladikavkaz, 1932-1933)).
T.Afanasjeva-Erenfest's works concern with axiomatic construction statistical mechanics and dynamics of irreversible processes as general theory of real processes in the Nature. She has strictly proved an opportunity of application of a method of statistical ensembles to real mechanical systems. It was shown, that use of the theory of probability in a statistical substantiation of entropy concept does not contradict a principle of a determinism. The opportunity of substantiation of Second postulate of thermodynamics only by means of axioms which are checked in experiment became most essential her result. She has formulated four axioms from which follow four equivalent formulations of the Second postulate for quasistatic processes. The key moment of these works became the proof of necessity of division of principles of existence and increasing of entropy which unification has taken place historically. Except for considered above, in 1912-1925 essential results in the theory of similarity have been received and criteria of existence of similarity for the most general natural phenomena are entered by T.Ehrenfest. These ideas further become the basis of the application of the theory of similarity to modeling.
Despite of not well health and cares of four children, T.Afanasjeva-Erenfest can not imagine itself without occupations by a science and teaching. Such big scientists as G.Lorents and A.Einshtejn appreciated Tatyana's talent and listened to her opinion. 'Tanja and I during 3-4 weeks were at Einstein home. Very interestingly. Discussion about gravitation and energy at absolute zero', said P.Ehrenfest. 'It would be very pleasant to talk to you and your wife on scientific and, certainly, unscientific themes', wrote G.Lorents. In spite of such a tragical turn of life as the suicide of her husband in 1933, Tatyana later has renewed creative activity. In the 1950s, she published her two main monographies, one of which she wrote at the age of 84.
Tatyana Alekseevna has died on April, 14, 1964 aged 88, in Leiden. She had no scientific degree and did not occupy a constant teaching post. However, the depth of her works and the generality of the received results have essentially enriched the world of physical science.
The talented Ukrainian mathematicians Tereza Vyvrot and Nikolay Homenko research problem of graphs theory. Thus, they proposed and worked out the method of Y-transformations for topological spaces properties investigation. In numerous works they demonstrated universality and efficiency of the method in the graph theory. On the basis of this method they originated the method of the chord tension of graphs. Basing on these was constructed the general theory of embeddabilities and embeddings of graphs in the compact orientable two dimensional manifolds.
Thus, achievement of gender equality and improvement of the status of the woman answers the purposes of stable development of mankind as inclusion of gender aspects in different spheres of a life provides effective achievement of the numerous economic and social purposes.
Because of historically developed circumstances science as the sphere of human activity was generated in general by men. In consequence of this fact specifically man's recognition of the reality which is focused mostly on reason, not on feelings, on rational instead of irrational, on abstract instead of concrete, was reflected. Thus has appeared, that other aspect of human activity inherent in a female half of a society, was not enough realized in the methodology of science, system of its values and results.
Chapter 3 - The advancement of young researchers and didactics
(German title: Nachwuchsföderung und Didaktik)
When eterakete and evening star chat... Success factors in electronic mentoring (German title: Wenn eterakete und Abendstern chatten... Erfolgsfaktoren im elektronischen Mentoring)
Aglaja Popoff
emento AT tu-bs DOT de www.emento.deemento is an electronic mentoring-programme at the Technical University of Braunschweig for school-girls, students and experts from both industry and science. The main aim of the project is to motivate and train young women for technological and technology-related subjects and vocations.
emento's electronic mentoring focuses on web-based means of communication (such as chat, forums or instant messenger) as main form of interchange between mentors and mentees. The communication between them takes place on ementos e-mentoring platfom on
www.emento.de.
Obvious advantage of a virtual mentoring is each participants possibility to set time and place for taking part. Moreover, both mentors and mentees stress the personal atmosphere on the platform despite the lack of a face-to-face contact. On the other hand, typical aspects of virtual communication such as e.g. lurkers have to be considered when discussing an e-mentoring-programme.
A pupils competition addressing the International Women's Day (German title: Wettbewerb für Schülerinnen und Schüler zum Internationalen Frauentag)
Lisa Glagow-Schicha
Lisa DOT schicha AT freenet DOT de, lisa DOT glagow-schicha AT msw DOT nrw DOT de The results of the students' competition "Gleichberechtigung macht Schule" (Equality in School) were presented in Northrhine-Westphalia on the international women's day . Pupils were invited to send pictures, essays, objects or CD-ROMs to the Ministry of School, Youth and Children in Northrhine-Westphalia. There were 140 contributions, including various posters and essays about Lise Meitner, Marie Curie, Irene Joliot-Curie, Ada Lovelace, Emmy Noether, Sonja Kovalewskaya and Hildegard von Bingen. The winners were an Art object about Katharina Henot from a school in Cologne. She was murdered during the witch-prosecution in Cologne. Other prizes were a series of paintings about Pina Bausch from a school in Wuppertal. She is one of the most famous living female German artists and an international influential dance choreograph. Another winner was a book written in the style of the quoran about the Iranian Shirin Ebadi from a school in Essen. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts for democracy and human rights in 2003.
All objects were exhibited in the Ministry for several weeks. Schools all over the country were inspired to present exhibitions on the international women's day in schools.
The technology sniff box "Something is moving here!" (German title: Die Technik-Schnupperkiste "Da bewegt sich was!")
Iris Tinsel
The Network Women.Innovation.Technology (F.I.T) Baden-Württemberg took part in the FiNuT congress 2005 in Bremen. The Network F.I.T presented the new designed "Technology Sniffling Box", which is part of the project "Techgirls-Girlstech".
The 90-minute workshop was divided into a theoretical and a practical part. In the introduction, the different projects and aims of the network F.I.T as well as the background of the "Technology Sniffling Box" were presented. In the practical part, about 20 participants explored the content of the "Technology Sniffling Box"-prototype. During the workshop, a lot of useful suggestions could be gathered, which contributed to the improvement of the eight completed "Technology Sniffling Boxes".
Several approaches to training of male and female students Larysa Sklepova, Valentyna Stakhnevych
valst AT ukr DOT netSvitlana Yashnyk
Fundamental changes in different spheres of life in Ukraine actualize problems connected with determination of females' and males' roles in democratic transformations of the society. They say that women's status in the state is one of the indicators of its progress. Our country has ratified the International Convention about liquidation of all forms of women's discrimination and about equal attitude and possibilities for working women and men. Ukrainian educational institutions pay attention to the European multicultural experience in training young people. Due to introducing new contents, forms, methods and developing new curricula we have got some results in students' understanding of the surrounding world. Some results will be presented in the report.
Formation of students sexual role identity Valentyna Stakhnevych
valst AT ukr DOT netContemporary conditions of society’s development has caused a "boom" around gender and its notions: gender equality, gender sensitivity, gender identity, gender costs and benefits etc. Besides many other different definitions have forced many people, especially youth to be deep in thoughts "what does it mean 'gender'" and "what is the difference in formation of male and female sexual role identity" at last?
Process of a personality formation involves a complex of objective and subjective conditions and processes, among them are learning: a certain conception of the world by a personality;
different knowledge;
social and professional skills and habits;
producing convictions;
development of inter personal relations;
involving of a personality to labour and different kinds of activity etc.
Stereotype conceptions about a male and a female image, their dignity has been formed by ages and even now it is spreading among the representatives of both sexes independently to their individual peculiarities and age. These stereotypes concern as personal male and female features as peculiarities of their behaviour.
Formation of sexual role identity connects with a certain notions of a personality about a male and female. These notions are predetermined by cultural surroundings but have specific individual variations. From peculiarities of formation of sexual role identity depend on how harmonic, flexible, adaptive are notions about themselves – a man or a woman, expectations connected with an opposite individual (a man or a female), how do they understand an ideal of masculinity or femininity etc. Limitations of these notions cause difficulties in self perception, inter sexual relations, adaptation to the wide social surroundings etc.
It is known that sex of a human being is under a great influence of cultural norms. Just they establish: what a male and female must be. According to this what vital positions they must occupy or what type of activity to choose etc. It is traditionally considered that a woman and a man are different but "different but equal". This peculiarity is conditioned not only by biological and physiological factors (hormones, chromosomes) as social norms and they dictate to men and women different types of behaviour according to biological sex as a result of it sexual role are formed. So social norms as the main rules determine behaviour of a personality in a definite society. Social norms that determine the functions and duties of men and women in society and family and have generalized characteristics about qualities what belong to every sex and are called gender roles. Thus we can say that that gender roles – it is a system of standards, moral imaginations concerning men’s and women’s behaviour of a certain society. Sexual appropriate standards of behaviour begin to form from the moment of a child’s birth and in itself biological development does not do from a personality a man or a woman. Sensations and perceivings of his / her sexual belonging is formed only during the process of communication with the other people under the influence of education and a wide circle of social conditionalities. To the family roles are added social ones among them are educational, professional, political, religional etc. For fulfilling different social roles public instructions of a certain society dictate for a man and a woman domination of certain features of a character concerning of a definite sex.
Being the teachers of the university we are doing some steps in introducing some topics about the peculiarities of students’ sexual role identity delivering such educational courses as: "Ethics and Psychology of Family Life", "Family and Everyday Culture", "Psychology of Management". It is known that attitude is integrated in actions and communication. Therefore parameters of positive, negative or indifferent attitude to work, study or communication (official and unofficial) may be on one hand – diligence, industrious, enterprising, well disposed and on the other hand – young people do not have desire, diligence in work or study, they are passive in all kinds of activity, malevolent, indifferent or antipathic to the other people. These characteristics, for example, of a student’s behaviour determine her / his official status, i.e. a position in the business, a formal structure of a group that is an evaluation of her / his behaviour concerning criteria of social values accepted by this or that society.
Our main idea is to help young people to understand themselves and surrounding people, their roles. We are trying to "wake up them" from infantility and involve them to take an active position in society’s renascence.
Being the students of the university young people study different subjects connected with their future speciality. Except of knowledge of special subjects we are trying to get acquainted them with social problems of society with help of introducing some new educational topics and talk shows:
"Gender and its problems", "We are equal but different", "Who is a leader --- you or I and why?", "A Leader from birth or from education and bringing up?", "What does it mean gender equality?", "How to avoid conflicts?", etc.
The small and the large: Electron microscopy in the Ada-Lovelace-Project (German title: Das Kleine und das Groöße: Elektronenmikroskopie im Ada-Lovelace-Projekt)
Barbara Kessler
The aim of the Ada-Lovelace-Project in Rheinland-Pfalz is to increase the number of female students in technical and natural-sciences faculties. The project is based on the principle of mentoring: female students present information about their degree programs and teach school girls in technical projects and practical courses in order to familiarize them with technically oriented problems. The lecture introduces the Ada-Lovelace-Project and presents examples of the daily work of the Ada-Lovelace mentors of the RheinAhrCampus: Girls are supervised at the secondary electron microscope, in roboter projects and many other disciplines. The girls enjoy the projects and start to trust in their own skills.
Chapter 4 - Adressing the spheres of life, work and study
(German title: Arbeits-, Studien- und Lebenswelten)
dib and NUT: Discussing flexibility and diversity. What is it that we benefit from, what is profitable for enterprises? (German title: dib und NUT: Flexibilität und Diversity. Was nützt uns und was nützt den Unternehmen?)
Jülide Sünter, Eva-Maria Baumgardt, Tamara Krutschau
This workshop is a product of a combined working group of the two societies of females in engineering and natural sciences dib and NUT. We prepared some information about flexibility and diversity as important parts of our every day work life. During this workshop we discussed themes like working hours and if the extension of working hours would help to reduce unemployment. As well as the effects of time-based, regional-based and technical felxibility on our every day work and private lifes. The other basic topic was divisity and why it gets more and more important for managers of different companies to pay attention to diversity issues.
dib e.v.,
www.dibev.de; Frauen in Naturwissenschaft und Technik NUT e.V.,
http://www.nut.de/ Creative academic writing (German title: Kreatives wissenschaftliches Schreiben)
Ingrid Dilger
dilger AT fiz-chemie DOT deThis 3-h workshop was about creative writing in sciences. Theoretical Inputs were given on the phases of the writing process, scientific reading, contents and function of a personal scientific journal, and criteria for scientific writing and for revising texts. These Inputs alternated with exercises to make new writing experiences with creative methods. The following methods of creative writing were introduced: Clustering, Mind-Mapping, writing automatically, rapid structuring of subjects, and a poem about emotions in relation with writing.
Developing issues into projects. Methods for collecting and sorting of ideas (German title: Vom Problem zum Projekt. Ansätze zum Sammeln und Sortieren von Ideen)
Ruth Marzi
Ruth DOT Marzi AT alumni DOT tu-berlin DOT de This workshop focussed on the first pre-phases of project planning: the analysis of the problem to work on and the finding of solutions. Only after this a project task can be detailed including aims, contents and constraints of the project. But how to find ideas, catching names for projects or to remember all important aspects of a project? Methods for finding (collecting, ordering and rating) solutions are presented and applied in small groups.
In literature and praxis there exists a plethora of methods to set free creativity. In this workshop three related methods were presented and trained, i.e. brainstorming, 6-3-5 and mind-map. They were chosen because of their brevity, little need for infrastructure and ease of learning. Unfortunately, they are often not used optimally due to disregard of the constraints. Employed appropriately the methods are independent from each other or consecutively useful tools to define a project more precisely. This is especially important, if there exists no contract with detailed description of aim and tasks, because the project idea was generated internally (in a company, as an idea for a research project, thesis, dissertation).
Gender Mainstreaming in curriculum development (German title: Gender Mainstreaming in der Lehrgangsentwicklung)
Elisabeth Hirsch
lisa DOT hirsch AT akis DOT atAn interdisciplinary group of researchers is developing a curriculum for a new study at the university of vienna. People who quit their study without a degree or want to start it later again should have the possibility to finish their education with this master course in "knowledge experts". They should acquire key competence like social skills, information technologies, gender competence. From statistics we know that this group contains more women than men. so we have a look at the needs and demands especially of female students.
The development of the curriculum is accompanied from a gender perspective so that we know how the study will address women and men. And we have a look at the consequences of the structure and the organisation, so that neither women nor men are disadvantaged. The project team will deal with their own gender competence. We talked about how gender mainstreaming can be implemented in this process and how we can make our lectures gender-sensitive. The following discussion contained mainly the question about the need of a manual for gendersensitive didactics.
Women Founding Firms Or: Being paid for one's own brain work! (German title: Frauen Gründen Firmen Oder: Fürs eigene Denken bezahlt werden!)
Bente Knoll, Tamara Krutschau
In this workshop we discussed topics concerning the setting up of business by women. How do female natural scientists and engineers work in the area of conflict between theoretical studies and working in practice. We tried to share a lot of information about setting up of self-employed premium, different things women need to know before they start the formation of a company and where they can find some more help. The exchange of experiences is as well important as to take delight in our working life.
Women's spaces in study programmes of technology: stuck in stigmatisation or take a chance? (German title: Frauenräume im Technikstudium: Stigmatisierung oder Chance?)
Ilona Horwath, Nicole Kronberger, Irmgard Wörtl
Ilona DOT Horwath AT jku DOT atIn this contribution we discuss the potential of three fundamental frameworks widely used in the field of gender studies: equality, difference and deconstruction. The consideration of benefits and dangers of employing each of these frameworks occurs within the context of the research project TEquality. This project investigates exigencies and challenges for students of technology courses, and aims at developing measures to increase the proportion of female students in such careers. In this contribution we focus on a special experience of female students that is highly relevant for measures to be successful, namely the experience of representing a numerical minority. We conclude by discussing implications for measure development and implementation.
Taking over an IT-project already up and running (German title: IT-Projekte im laufenden Betrieb übernehmen)
Gabriele Vierhuff
During this workshop we discussed the problems and solutions caused when a person has to take over an already started software project. We collected questions to ask the colleague former in charge of the project and guidelines how to deal with interpersonal problems.
Changing structures in agriculture and its effects on migration in North-East Brazil. How are young women affected by these developments with regards to their educational motivation? (German title: Agrarstrukturwandel und Migration in Nordostbrasilien. Wie wirken sich diese Entwicklungen auf die Bildungsmotivation von jungen Frauen aus?)
Dagmar Fuhr
fuhr AT iisa DOT de http://www.usf.uni-kassel.de/waves/The semi-arid northeast Brazil is one of the most significant problem regions in our world. In the last centuries social conditions have developed under difficult natural, especially climatic conditions, which do not seem very suitable to responding with appropriate strategies to the social and ecological crises in this region, which currently seem to be intensifying.
The traditional latifundium system (Fazenda social system) and the small-farm production units, the traditional agrarian mentality, and a political system based on clientism and assistantism allowed only few structures of development.
In this spectrum of problematic natural and social living conditions coping mechanisms developed which have become highly questionable in their worth for individual and social solution concepts. This refers first of all to migration processes which, no longer being traditional compensation migrations or planned work migrations, have not only deepened the essence of crisis in the northeastern region as rural exodus, but have also confronted the destinations - especially the coastal center's and those in southern Brazil.
The focus of the lecture was the motivation of girls for education, to get more chances for their professional activities. Our investigation shows the young women in the rural area of northeast Brazil have a higher education than the boys. Indeed the job situation for women in this area is very difficult, and their earnings present only 50 to 75 percent of earnings of the men. Due to this development young women increasingly migrate - at first to the small and bigger towns, than to the southeast of Brazil, because they neither want to marry a peasant nor to be unemployed. The difficult job situation in the rural area affects also the young men, which have no interests to work in agriculture. Accordingly the people with higher education have a higher disposition to migrate; we call this brain drain.
Chapter 5 - Exchanging experiences on intercultural cooperation
(German title: Interkultureller Erfahrungsaustausch)
Expanding your Sphere: 99 tips for communicating in international scientific working environments Katharina Kettner
contact AT wave-concepts DOT deResults need to be communicated, and in a changing (scientific) world requirements are increasing, especially in
A) presenting yourself and scientific results in different media and 'market places'
B) working effectively in international research groups, meetings, networks
C) developing new ways of leadership styles that encourage diversity in science and technology
In cross cultural contexts issues like power, identity and self-confidence can be amplified. The combination of insights in underlying values and backgrounds and practice helps to overcome barriers of language, culture and gender, to better handle different mentalities and working styles.
Creating and using your individual space is a matter of personal development for work and life. Expanding your sphere internationally refers to job possibilities, networking and power issues in communication.
This is a report on years of practice-oriented experience of teaching key skill workshops in International Centres of Excellence. It explores behaviours and inner attitudes for productively communicating your strengths in international scientific environments.
„What do I want to get out of this workshop?“
Giving presentations \& communicating with audiences, facilitation of international teams in scientific working environments, team and leadership: Inter/cultural issues of the future „... a safe space“. Beyond the participants' specific learning interests (to better present themselves, to use time efficiently in meetings, to define their space in working environments), key skill workshops have a more general significance in the framework of intercultural relevance; they also provide insights in sphere and space management and crucial communication principles.
Intercultural relevance: In a changing world adaptability is one of the most important assets for survival. Different ways of working can be a challenge to cooperation and project management. In order to decrease friction losses „new“ key skills are in high demand.
Sphere and space management: Claiming space in communication is an important issue, especially for women in male dominated working environments.
Body language: Unconvinced, thus unconvincing, postures can still be observed, even in highly accomplished young (female) researchers from around the globe. Learning to literally stand on your own two feet, straightening your back, facing a critical audience renders a new perspective on how space is connected to personal working identity (Kettner 2004) and to objectives in a given communicative situation, e.g. a presentation, a facilitation, or a feedback talk with a subordinate.
„Your power point presentation is projected to the back, but as a presenter you project to the front.“ In this sense the inner attitude is reflected by the outer appearance and (inter)actions. Attitudes are translated into (sometimes minute) signals in posture, movements of hands, or facial expressions, which are - more or less consciously - percieved and evaluated by audiences. This happens on the basis of internalised value systems, norms and beliefs, and also on the basis of primary expression/perception patterns. These are similar across cultures (Rosinski 2003), and probably partly genetically programmed. Merely ticking off communication tips from a book will not explore a person's communicative potential sufficiently and sustainably.
However, some communication principles can be deduced and identified. The most essential issue is contact, communication partners will not easily forgive signs of contact avoidance. Although there is acceptance variance with more or less emotionally expressive cultures, expressing the will to communicate is always required to establish common ground. This is achieved in different ways: with body signals, verbals, visuals. In virtual communication these need to be changed or replaced.
Clarity is vital for reaching any objective, and at the same time most delicate in intercultural contexts: What is clear for, say, a Dutch, might be interpreted as rude by an Indian or Chinese; and what is clear for an Englishman could - due to their indirect way of phrasing things - be confusing for a German (Trompenaars 1998; also Hofstede 1991). Even identifying a problem is not self-explanatory in intercultural groups. (Adler 2002)
From the depths of a special field of research Clarity will always seem banal, but very often proves a vital dooropener to perception and understanding. Comprehensive motivation is triggered further by the third aspect: coherence, the adaptation to the context, the target group, the situation (Senge 1994), also means coherence with oneself, authenticity.
Giving Presentations & Communicating with audiences.
„What do you do against nervousness?“ The all time favourite question with participants. Next to all kinds of practical tips (drink a glass of water, breathe, relax, eat a banana ;-), the most effective one, again, is a supervisional coaching of the inner attitude towards the situation. Not every 'tip' works with every person. Thus at wave-concepts we combine techniques with explanations and practical feedback to make it happen, working on the presentation structure, visualising crucial information, cutting unnecessary details, and most essential of all: building on the participants' individual strenghts.
Pres_mediaKLEIN.jpg
As one young female researcher said in our evaluation: „I always used to be afraid of presenting at international conferences. Now I know it can be an interesting challenge that I can master.“
Facilitation of international teams in scientific working environments
Facilitation in university meetings follows patterns that are presently changing. Traditionally they are facilitated by a group leader, a chair holder, or dean. In the first runs of our simulation the participants learn to observe how subtly this communication situation can be dominated, often unconsciously. They learn to see facilitation as a process taking into account the - considerable! - creative and scientific potential of a diverse/ interdisciplinary group; they learn how to motivate a group and to summarise results effectively.
The vital insight about facilitation processes is that they consist of separate phases. Germans, for instance, tend to jump into the topic immediately, while with most groups it saves more time to have a small welcome phase, to prepare the group for the space they're in and the tasks they are about to fulfill. The second phase informs the group about these tasks and basic problematics ...sounds easy enough in theory... The next phase might be generating (creative) ideas in a brainstorming, a great challenge for scientists, not because they are not creative, but because their job is to be critical. However, brainstorming phases need to be uncommented in order to motivate the group to contribute further. It turns out that if this simple rule is followed the pool of ideas will be richer in quality and quantity, the discussion to follow more democratic, the results may take a completely different turn, and discussions will not to move around in circles.
After some sessions' evaluations the participants get more aware of the communication process, and very sensitive to attempts of manipulation. Separate roles in discussion leading means less stress for all involved. Ideally, the main function of the facilitators is managing structure, not content. With the information structure and the group structure this is a lot to handle simultaneously: live knowledge management and visualisation, directed neutrally. So we work with (mixed) teams of two facilitators if we can.
Visualisation is usually seen as an 'add on' before the workshops and indispensable after. Participants learn about the power of visualising here: the live action of writing something on a flipchart, the way a handwritten contribution pinned on a board is so sensitively „mine“ in the process, the new impulses „mine“ and „yours“ and „hers“ and „his“ - „ours“ can stimulate in a group, the structural clarity good visuals may bring into a discussion.
Whereas visualisation has somewhat universal traits in academic contexts, the motivation and clarity you can bring on with verbal language highly depends on and reflects intercultural and gender backgrounds, group structures and dynamics. Much has been written about that, here you can see it in action and modifyyour own behaviour pattern in the direction of your purposes and ideals. Observing colleagues being charmingly flexible and competent, others being dry and clear, open and honest in making statements, giving suggestions, welcoming contributions, words and phrases will turn into keys to the process, eventually into keys to the future.
Learning by differences and strenghts: You may observe that the Asian colleague may look „as if she didn't know what's going on“ realising you've missed cross cultural cues (because of course she does know very well!), when the same colleague elegantly directs a group with phrases that are quite similar, but have slightly more clarity and direction about them. You may observe a Slavic or US-American colleague, eagerly target-oriented, talking over the heads of the people in the room, wondering why nothing goes, and in the next session, with a slightly more differenciated, sensitive approach she'd be making her clarity and target-orientation the greatest asset in reaching the group's objectives.
Always provided that - leading over to 'leadership' and 'intregrity' – people „walk their talk“. Here you observe others and your own behaviour in the safe space of a video-supported training.
Team & leadership: Inter/cultural issues of the future
What is leadership? Is it innate charisma? Not to be influenced or modelled? How does it impact on university structures and management and vice versa? What are our chances and drives for a vision of the role of leadership in science?
„Charisma sucks“ - The first answer we get to the question of leadership is almost invariably 'charisma', the implicate assumption being that leadership qualities are innate, and therefore not to be learned.
However, this is only part of the truth. In key skills workshops we tackle this with short practical exercises, which in the reflection phase opens up the question of the definition of 'fairness' in a diverse group. It then becomes very clear that there are skills, and again, inner attitudes, that relate to processes and working conditions, and, although these qualities depend largely on situations, communication principles and leadership values they can - and should - be reflected on and translated into approriate behaviour.
Making a change towards diversity} and intercultural leadership qualities in university structures is a continuous balance of research (still the dominant employment criterium here), teaching and administration, a responsibility that professors are traditionally not well prepared and equipped for. What is not sufficiently taken into account are academic structures that are growing more and more complex: Interdisciplinary, international projects require a recognition of cross cultural value systems as well as aware usage of behaviour and conflict resolution patterns.
Internallly, structures within universities still belong to the most inflexibly hierarchical ones, with remarkable remainders of 'male' structures and behaviour patterns. This becomes apparent in insiders' remarks like „Female professors? Some of them are the worst..“ A structure in which female leaders need to hypertrophy the recieved 'male' behaviour prototypes (in order to achieve positions) is not yet essentially liberated. So a look at the participant's individual relation to 'power' makes great sense in connection with gender roles.
Additionally, the role of leadership in science carries some societal functions that are becoming more apparent in the flux of global change. Science is taking a place between humanitarian and business issues in the sense that on one hand there is a research motivation to improve e.g. public health, environmental energy etc., whereas on the other hand projects need to be 'sold' to the sponsorship of industry. Reflecting on these responsibilities is part of the leadership tasks of the future, and one part of what a leadership workshop can achieve.
visualisation1KLEIN.jpg
The drive for innovation in academic organisations is often obstructed by the mills of bureaucracy. Thus, if innovation and change is to be implemented, structures and organisational cultures, need to be observed closely for efficiency. The old image of higher education institutions of the „Ivory Tower“ needs to change into a „Market Place“ metaphor (Kettner 2005). In our workshops participants often discuss inhowfar research and teaching can and should open to society, (to target female high potentials, to inform the general public on science) and, indeed, how any university could possibly avoid opening up in a digital age, sharing information within knowledge management. This will change organisational culture, just as increasing awareness of these issues in - male and female - academic leaders of the future will impact the course of global development.
„... a safe space“
At wave-concepts we found a useful theoretical analogy in the Bauhaus (post)modern 'classic' form follows function and since we have to do with live people we add follows energy to that formula. In our workshops and coaching we identify interaction functions and essential energies of the client, and on that basis develop an individual, yet valid and compatible form of communication.
„This is my space!“
Space management is self management in expanding spheres, especially for female researchers. Identity is defined in our space, exploring borders and limits, cores and essentials in action. The discussion confirmed the relevance, individuality, and the need for this kind of interactive development.. in a safe space - to practise, to experience, have fun!
References
Adler, Nancy J. (2002). International Dimensions of Organisational Behaviour. Thomson Learning.
Björck, Ingela (27 June 2003). Guiding the Guides. http://nextwave.sciencemag.org
Hofstede, Geert (1991). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind; Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival. McGraw-Hill.
Kettner, Katharina (2004). Magic in Motion: The Art of Framing Organisational Culture. Paper delivered at the Art of Management and Organisation Conference, 7-10 Sept 2004 at the ESCP-EAP European School of Management, Paris.
Kettner, Katharina (2005). Glass Borders: Female 'brain drain' in Science and Technology as an Intercultural Dilemma. In: BBW-Schriftenreihe des Bundesamt für Bildung und Wissenschaft (Hg.): No Limits? Dokumentation 30. Kongress von Frauen in Naturwissenschaft und Technik vom 20.-23.5.2004 in Winterthur. Bern.
Rosinski, Philipe (2003). Coaching across Cultures. Nicolas Bealey Publishing.
Senge, Peter M., Kleiner, Art, Roberts, Charlotte, Ross, Rick, Smith, Bryan (1994). The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization. Bantam Doubleday Dell Books.
Trompenaars, Fons, Hampden-Turner, Charles (1998). Riding The Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business. McGraw-Hill.
Chapter 6 - Networking & networks
(German title: Vernetzung, Netzwerke
Topical issues of the upcoming FiNuT 2006 congress in Cologne. Philosophical salon on the motto "Taking stock: Justice" (German title: Schwerpunkte des Kongresses 2006 FiNuT in Kön. Philosophisches Cafe zum Motto "Bilanzraum: Gerechtigkeit")
Ira Assent, Martina Born, Ulrike Muthmann, Ulrike Schwanitz, Andrea Wulf
kontakt AT finut2006 DOT deWe presented our motto for the upcoming congress in Cologne, describing our discussion which has lead to it: first, the notion of justice is rapidly changing, and it is sometimes deemed a „luxury“ in social reform discussions. Second, different „balance areas“, i.e. the influences and effects of a system under evaluation, might anticipate the result. And finally, we want to strike a balance of women's movement: what were the key issues some 25 years ago, what are they today or tomorrow?
We then invited the participants to tell us how they relate to this topic and which aspects they would like to see discussed. This lead to an impressive number of points and possible discussions. Anyone who is interested in adding any points, we are happy to hear from you!
Chapter 7 - Topical issues from the fields of science and technology
(German title: Fachveranstaltungen aus Naturwissenschaft und Technik
User interfaces that count (German title: User Interfaces, die was taugen)
Maria Oelinger
Oelinger AT collide DOT infohttp://oelinger.collide.infoThe interface between the software system and the user is essential for its success. A good UI can improve the acceptance and therefore the enjoyment of usage for the user. A bad UI, however, can ruin a whole system. This is a quick and practice-oriented introduction to usability, design for the target group and conception of the whole system regarding the user's needs. Software design as such is an important factor, since UI and the code beyond pass the ball to each other. This holds for both, software and web applications.
Open Access Web-Publishing Claudia Koltzenburg
koltzenburg AT tu-harburg DOT dePublishing on the web means to publish electronically. If we publish by adhering to Open Access Open Access models, we can make the most of electronic publishing, because information objects become more accessible. However, there are four conditions for accessibility: breaking down technical, legal, financial and content barriers. These need to be done away with in order for Open Access to deserve its name. A critical introduction to ways and means of making research results visible *and* accessible.
Open Access Web-Publishing and the Scholarly Communication System
Generally speaking, Open Access means to publish on the web free of charge for the reader (1). Electronic preprint exchange was established in 1991 in Physics (Ginsparg 2004; Gunnarsdottír 2005), from whence developed most of the 'non-print' 'post-review' Open Access models. Since then the idea of how scholarly communication works (and can work even better) and how research should be published, who should act, for whose profit and to what ends, has changed significantly. With the Open Access movement, the focus has been placed more and more on the academic author herself. She is the one to decide how her research results should be made available.
The following functions have been identified as being essential for the process of scholarly communication:
„Registration, which allows claims of precedence for a scholarly finding. Certification, which establishes the validity of a registered scholarly claim. Awareness, which allows actors in the scholarly system to remain aware of new claims and findings. Archiving, which preserves the scholarly record over time. Rewarding, which rewards actors for their performance in the communication system based on metrics derived from that system“ (Van de Sompel, Payette, Erickson, Lagoze, Warner 2004).
These findings do not say anything about how such a system should be financed. Until recently, scholars gave away their 'content' to publishers in order for them to make a marketable product out of it. What was not marketable was not accepted. A lot of journal and monograph publishing, however, is heavily subsidised if not financed completely by scholarly associations or by academic institution funding, i.e., by public means. Thus, in the current dominant research publishing system, the public pays three times for the content to reach its readership: it pays for the production of research results (researchers' income and academic institutional infrastructure), for the reviewing, during working hours, of what colleagues have produced, and, last but not least, for making journal content available to readers (by library subscriptions). It is the rising prices of library subscriptions for journals versus the shrinking academic library budgets which has caused a big portion of the hue and cry that set off the Open Access movement which has in the last few years gained the attention of a large number of individuals, including activist scholars (e.g. Stevan Harnad; cf. Koltzenburg 2004a, 2004b), as well as librarians, journal initiatives and funding bodies, e.g. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 2005; Fournier 2005).
Four conditions for Open Access
In order to do away with financial barriers for the readership, the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), founded in 2002, advocates two roads for the scholar to choose from: 'Use Open Access Journals' and 'Use Open Access Institutional Repositories', with the second being seen by some to be the quicker way to make all research results available for free (Carr 2005, Harnad 2005).
There are also content issues as well as technical and legal questions to be solved. However, not all of these requirements can and should be met by the academic author herself. It is actually a global issue to rethink access conditions as they are designed by mainstream and privileged parts of the 'scientific community'.
Technically speaking, OA requires access to (freeware) electronic publishing tools, (free) availability of a stable Internet connection, (free) access to the web, open (barrier-free) standards for web design and publishing tools, and the documents themselves must be found (Wikipedia 20XX). In the field of research publishing, it is the new database and web technologies like the Open Archives Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH 20XX) that allow for better search and retrieval functions for freely accessible research results.
The content aspect of Open Access information objects requires that the same language(s) are known on the authors' side and on the readers' side, and that what has been published is clear and comprehensible (to whom?). The latter is one of the most hotly debated issues (see also Discussion below).
Last but not least, legally speaking, Open Access requires that authors know about licences which state explicitly what may or may not be done with this document (Creative Commons 2004) and how to vest a document with such licences. Subsequently, the respective licence must be visible to the user (i.e., be a part of or linked with the document in question), and the license must be comprehensible for both the author and the user.
Conclusion
The current situation for Open Access material reaching the web access holders is very diverse in the sense that there are a lot of methods and infrastructural entry points. In my view, the movement will thrive as long as it develops along the lines of the OAI – Open Archives Initiative's protocol technology.
koltzenburg1.jpg
`Open Access' publishing options, 6 May 2005
Discussion
Questions arising during the talk and after focussed on a. how readers can determine which of the studies freely available are of trustworthy quality, and on b. how new research fields and new approaches can reach the audience they deserve.
a. One of the prevailing attitudes in research communities seems to generate one major drawback of research published with Open Access: many hold that what is for free on the web cannot be good research. However, in determining what studies are worth reading, scholars should first of all decide for themselves. Next, it is up to their own determination (and, seemingly, courage) which resource(s) to cite in which publishing context. On this issue, the participants finally agreed that quality is independent of format, sometimes also independent of branding: as long as branding strategies, reviewing practices and mainstreaming mechanisms behind the choice of what gets published are not made transparent for the journals with the highest 'impact factors', 'quality' is definitely open to debate.
b. Participants reported that established editorial boards often turned down their essays. Much concern was voiced about alleged criteria used in review procedures and the impression remains that more often than not e.g., Queer Studies do not get turned down for reasons of research merit, but for the topic as such. Concluding remarks went in the direction of saying that the more 'new approaches', e.g., communities creating their own journals in cost-saving electronic-only format, the more easily new fields of study can establish themselves. Here, Open Access publishing models can help raise citation frequency (2)(i.e., academic reward and visibility) for the authors and provide better availability of new material to readers.
Endnotes
(1) For a choice of international attempts at defining what the term Open Access should include see
http://www.zugang-zum-wissen.de/oa-wasistdas.html [last accessed: 2005-07-30]; to keep up to date with most recent developments in the Open Access movement check out Open Access News. News from the open access movement,
http://www.earlham.edu/peters/fos/fosblog.html [last accessed: 2005-07-30] as well as
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Access [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
(2) Cf. a glimpse of the current British debate: Stevan Harnad, Weighing Articles/Authors Instead of Journals in Research Assessment. In: Open Access Archivangelism, Maximizing Research Impact by Maximizing Research Access, entry 27 July 2005,
http://openaccess.eprints.org/ [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
References
Carr, Leslie; Harnad, Stevan (2005). Keystroke Economy: A Study of the Time and Effort Involved in Self-Archiving. Public draft 1, 2005-03-15.
http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/10688/01/KeystrokeCosting-publicdraft1.pdf Creative Commons (2004). Launch der deutschen Creative Commons-Lizenzen in Berlin. (Meldung verfasst von Marlene Neusüss).
http://de.creativecommons.org/launch.html [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Hg.) (Juli 2005). Publikationsstrategien im Wandel? Ergebnisse einer Umfrage zum Publikations- und Rezeptionsverhalten von Wissenschaftlern unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Open Access.
http://www.dfg.de/dfg_im_profil/zahlen_und_fakten/statistisches_berichtswesen/open_access/download/oa_ber_dt.pdf [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Fournier, Johannes (2005). Wege zum Wissen. Aktionsfelder zur Förderung des Open Access durch die DFG. Stellungnahme zur Studie „Publikationsstrategien im Wandel? Ergebnisse einer Umfrage zum Publikations- und Rezeptionsverhalten von Wissenschaftlern unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Open Access“.
http://www.dfg.de/dfg_im_profil/zahlen_und_fakten/statistisches_berichtswesen/open_access/download/oa_stellungnahme.pdf [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Ginsparg, Paul (2004). Scholarly Information Network. In: Ben-Naim, Eli, Frauenfelder, Hans, Toroczkai, Zoltan (Eds.). Complex Networks. Lecture Notes in Physics; 650. Heidelberg: Springer, 313-336.
Gunnarsdottír, Kristrún (2005). Scientific Journal Publications: On the Role of Electronic Preprint Exchange in the Distribution of Scientific Literature. In: Social Studies of Science, 35/4, August 2005, 549-579. [thanks to Katrin Nikoleyczik for this hint]
Harnad, Stevan (2005). Fast-Forward on the Green Road to Open Access: The Case Against Mixing Up Green and Gold. Ariadne 42, January 2005.
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue42/harnad [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Koltzenburg, Claudia (2004a). Conference Report Symposium on Open Access to Knowledge and Scholarly Communication. Zurich, 15 October 2004.
http://www.openspf.de/space/start/2004-10-15/1#Zurich_Open_Access_Symposium:_encouraging_steps_ahead__,
http://www.openspf.de/space/start/2004-10-19/1#Zurich_Open_Access_Symposium,_report_Part_Two [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Koltzenburg, Claudia (2004b). Conference Report Open Access Publishing. Cologne Summit, 7-8 December 2004.
http://www.openspf.de/space/start/2004-12-09/1#Open_Access_Publishing_Cologne_Summit:_onwards! [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
OAI-PMH (20XX). Open Archives Initiative - Protocol for Metadata Harvesting v.2.0.
http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/openarchivesprotocol.html [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Sompel van de, Herbert, Payette, Sandy, Erickson, John, Lagoze, Carl, Warner, Simeon (2004). Rethinking Scholarly Communication: Building the System that Scholars Deserve. In: D-Lib Magazine, 10(9), September 2004.
http://www.dlib.org/dlib/september04/vandesompel/09vandesompel.html [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Wikipedia (20XX). German entry on Open Access, paragraph 'Via Open Access verfügbare Forschungsliteratur finden'. [last accessed: 2005-07-30]
Chapter 8 - Other
(German title: Sonstiges
The tides of the Change (German title: Gezeiten Wechsel Jahre)
Dagmar Heymann
The Change - what fits better in with a FiNuT meeting under the motto „change of tides“! And what fits me better as a biochemist, a feminist science researcher and having been in the change for the last four years. For this workshop I have gone through medical as well as popular literature, with a most critical and feminist anthropological study by Emily Martin. My talk is mostly based on her findings and arguments.
Martin, Emily (1989). The Woman in the Body. A Cultural Analysis of Reproduction. Boston: Beacon Press
