Helen Peterson

Research Interests

Feminist technology studies

Gendered cultures of engineering

Masculinities, femininities and the performance of technical competence

Gendered careers in science, engineering and technology

Academic management and research careers

Current Projects

GenderTIME - Transferring, Implementing, Monitoring, Equality

The aim of the GenderTime project is to identify and implement the best systemic approach to increase the participation and career advancement of women researchers in selected institutions where self-tailored action plans are implemented. Institutions involved in GenderTime are intentionally very different in terms of size, discipline, history, etc. in order to experiment in various situations and to create a synergy among scientific partners. The plans will involve activities as recruitment, retention and promotion policies, supporting work-life balance measures, updated management and research standards, supporting policies for dual careers-couple, etc. To guarantee the real implementation of structural change in each Institution a central role will be assumed by the transfer agents. A crucial point will be the real commitment of organizational heads of each participant. Among the 10 partners, there are 8 scientific partners across Europe, they implement self-taylored action plans in their institutions. An external partner is in charge of the evaluation. A technical partner coordinates the project. The consortium will cooperate on common actions to transfer knowledge between relative newcomers and institutions with experience on gender aware management. Besides a measurable change in the participating institutions through evaluation instruments such as tailor-made indicators, the outcome of the project will be to produce tested toolbox and management tools for future action plans in institutions interested in similar approaches. Comparative analysis of GenderTime  experiences will identify the best self-tailored actions according to cultural contexts, disciplines, etc. and the factors for a successful sustainable implementation. GenderTime  objective is to contribute to an organizational and structural change in European research and to disseminate at all levels the tools to implement it.

The project is financed by the European Commission in Framework Programme 7, 2013-2016.

From Rector Magnificus to Strategic Manager - The Transformatio of Management Ideals in Swedish Higher Education

The aim of this project is to perform a gendered skills analysis of Vice Chancellor positions in Swedish Higher Education (HE). The analysis identifies the spectrum of skills, competence and qualifications required for effective university management, from soft skills through to hard skills. These requirements are problematized at the intersection of two ongoing changes: 1. the quantitative increase of women Vice Chancellor (Rectors), and 2. the financial and organizational transformation of HE. The study will use a combination of data collection methods. The first case study is a detailed analysis of reports and documents covering the recruitment and appointment procedures of Vice Chancellors at Swedish HE institutions between 1990 and 2012. This data will provide information about how skills requirements have changed over the last 20 years, if and how requirements are constructed in relation to the specific HE institution’s history and profile and whether the requirements differ between HE institutions where women or men have been appointed. The documents provide the official skills requirements. Interviews with members of appointment committees aim at providing information about unofficial skills requirements and the more informal idea of what is required of an ideal Vice Chancellor. From a gender perspective it is relevant to ask whether both women and men have the same preconditions for being considered as such an ideal Vice Chancellor. Finally, also Vice Chancellors will be interviewed in order to highlight how they construct and negotiate a professional identity in relation to skills requirements and gender. Sweden is an interesting country to study academic leadership in. The proportion of women in senior management positions in HE is significantly higher here than in most other countries. Can the increase of women in Vice Chancellor positions be linked to changes in skills requirement and a diminishing preference for male leaders?

The project is financed by FAS, 2013-2015.

Publications

Peterson, Helen (2012) "Absent Non-Fathers: Gendered representations of voluntary childlessness in Swedish newspapers". Feminist Media Studies, vol. 0, no. 0: 1-16. Published online ahead of print (available 25 April 2012).

Peterson, Helen (2011) "'One of the Boys' or 'Never Just Right'? Women's In/Visibility in Engineering", s. 53-69 i Bamme, Arne et al. (red) 2010 Yearbook of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Science and Technology, Graz, Austria. München: Profil Verlag.

Peterson, Helen (2011) "The gender mix policy - addressing gender inequality in higher education management". Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, vol. 33, no. 6: 619-628.

Peterson, Helen (2011) "Le magnifiche svedesi. Lezioni universitarie". InGenere. (published on-line 2011-04-21) ("A Swedish Success Story? Women in Academic Management 1990-2010")

Peterson, Helen (2010) "The Gendered Construction of Technical Self-Confidence: Women's Negotiated Positions in Male-Dominated, Technical Work Settings". International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 2 (1): 66-88

Peterson, Helen (2010) “Women’s Career Strategies in Engineering: Confronting Masculine Workplace Culture”. Godfroy-Genin, Anne-Sophie (ed.) Women in Engineering and Technology Research. The PROMETEA Conference Proceedings. Berlin, Zürich: Lit Verlag.

Peterson, Helen (2009) "The Scientist Work Ideal - a Challenge for Women?". The Parliament Magazine's Research Review.  Issues 11, pp. 53-54.

Peterson, Helen (2007) “Gendered Work Ideals in Swedish IT Firms. Valued and not Valued Workers”. Gender, Work and Organization. Vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 333-348. Special Issue: Gender and New Technologies.

Peterson, Helen (2005) Gender, Power and Post-Bureaucracy. Work Ideals in IT Consulting. Doktorsavhandling. Uppsala: Sociologiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet.