ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on gender dynamics in recruitment and selection. Using empirical examples from a research project on gender stratification in the Danish university system, three social processes are examined that interact to produce inequalities in academic hiring, namely, (i) institutional decoupling among hiring managers; (ii) standardisation of scientific performance assessments; (iii) symbolic boundary work in relation to gender. All three processes put women at a disadvantage, but not all of them are adequately explained by the notion of unconscious bias. As demonstrated in this chapter, multiple forms of gender bias shape academic hiring practices. Gender bias assumes the form of homophily in the networks of academic recruiters. It is encapsulated in the criteria used for evaluating research performance and reflected in academic managers’ cultural narratives about gender and academic success. The focus on addressing unconscious bias, in policy and practice, is not enough in itself. Creating change towards gender sensitivity requires in-depth, contextualised knowledge about academic institutions and taking action to address these.
