Klassernes fortsatte forsvinden

The notion of intersectionality has become important in order to understand the condition of the subject in a society that among other factors are characterized by changing gender relations.  The notion relates itself to a society in which categories such as gender, class, ethnicity, age, sexual preferences, etc. interact with each other in novel and a more fluid and fluctuant way than earlier. Even though, internationally, feminist research has begun to focus on the intersection between different categories, it seems that the attention directed towards class is still minimized; class somehow seems to continue to live in obscurity, which is why a reflection of a distant past comes to mind as the class category by various means has a history of marginalisation within the feminist agenda. The article thus emphasizes the need to develop new feminist ways of thinking and writing about class

Smager kaffen bedre i en Elsevier-kop?

Har man besøgt Atira A/S – udvikleren af Pure – i Aalborg ved man, at de serverer en fremragende kaffe. Bønnerne er af høj kvalitet, nøje afmålt, og kaffen er vanskelig at afslå. Servicet er til gengæld en mangfoldig oplevelse, hvor man præsenteres for vidt forskellige kopper. Dette forhold bringer én i et dilemma. Skal man vælge en kop fra LEGO, JAVA, DSU eller AaB? Direktøren selv sværger til sin OBkop, og den er vist slet ikke til deling

Den subjektive oplevelse af klasse

Denne artikel bygger på forskellige kvinders fortællinger om sig selv og deres forestillinger om hverdagen og dens sammenhæng. Den refererer til afhandlingen På jagt efter klasse, i hvilken ærindet har været at studere klasse på ”mikroniveau” og ved hjælp af interviews belyse, hvordan klasse, i processer der interagerer med køn og andre sociale differentieringer, præger kvinders erfaringer og oplevelser, deres opfattelse af dem selv og andre og de muligheder, der er tilgængelige for dem. I interviewene afvises sociale forskelle i udgangspunktet, eller de pakkes ind og underspilles for så alligevel at dukke op bl.a. i de skillelinjer, kvinderne selv fremdrager som vigtige og i måden, hvorpå de betragter og vurderer sig selv og andre. Klasse giver sig langt hen ad vejen til kende i form af grænser mellem os og dem. Afstandtagen til andre viser sig især i moralske distinktioner, og når kvinderne mere eller mindre direkte henviser til folk, der tænker, handler eller prioriterer anderledes og indimellem uforståeligt for dem. Søgeord: Klasse, køn, social differentiering, moralske distinktioner, Bourdieu, symbolsk grænsedragning. ENGELSK ABSTRACT: Stine Thidemann Faber: The Subjective Experience of Social Class This article is based on the dissertation “The Pursuit of Class”, a study of social class on a ”micro-level”. Through interviews with women, it explores how class – through processes that interact with gender and other social differentiations – leaves its mark on women’s experiences and perceptions of self and others as well as their perceptions of opportunities accessible to them. In the interviews social differences are initially rejected, muffled and underplayed. Yet, in very subtle ways the women do in fact discuss social differences, although the word class is never used. Above all, class is revealed through borders drawn between them and us. This distancing from others is communicated mainly as moral reservations and moral condemnation. In that sense the women indirectly refer to people who think, act or prioritize differently. Motherhood appears to be a particularly important factor when the women assess themselves and others. Key words: Class, gender, social differentiation, moral distinctions, Bourdieu, symbolic boundary drawing

Gender Balance Initiatives in Research Funding : Barriers and Possible Measures to Increase the Share of Women within Natural Science and Technology

The objective of this research memorandum is to identify and describe what constitutes the significant barriers against achieving a better gender balance at Danish universities, in particular within natural sciences and technology.The memorandum also addresses the question of the possible role of research funding institutions in relation to gender imbalances in academia, and in particular which actions and measures have been put in place in order to prevent women from remaining disproportionately underrepresented.Based on desk research, this research memorandum presents in total six promising practices and short summaries of existing experiences regarding what works in addressing the gender gap in research funding. While the identified gender balancing initiatives and measures stem from numerous national contexts, each of them are characterised by focusing mainly on one specific part of the grant allocation process – whether it be early in the process, where measures such as certification of applicants and/or earmarked funds are a possibility, or while applicants and projects are being assessed, or in the post-award phase, where measures to ensure public accountability for funding schemes and counteracting the motherhood penalty are distinct possibilities. Following the presentation of the promising practices below is a number of clear and concise recommendations on possible actions to be taken