Channah Herschberg | Radboud University Nijmegen (original) (raw)
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Papers by Channah Herschberg
This paper investigates how the recruitment and selection for project-based postdoc positions are... more This paper investigates how the recruitment and selection for project-based postdoc positions are organised in the current academic landscape characterised by increasing temporary research funding and how principal investigators construct the 'ideal' postdoc. Our findings are based on a qualitative comparative multiple-case study in Social and Natural Sciences departments of universities in four European countries. This study contributes to the literature on the neoliberal university and academic staff evaluation by using a systemic, power-sensitive approach that examines how postdocs enter the academic system and how manifestations of precarity are exacerbated. Our critical analysis reveals three manifestations of precarity that the current academic system creates for postdocs, related to control, contracts, and careers. We discuss the effects for individual postdocs and their careers and the quality of knowledge production in public funded higher education institutions.
This article examines how macro-discourses of internationalisation and excellence shape formal an... more This article examines how macro-discourses of internationalisation and excellence shape formal and applied selection criteria for early-career researcher positions at the meso-organisational and micro-individual levels, demonstrating how tensions between the various levels produce inequalities in staff evaluation. In this way, this article contributes to the literature on academic staff evaluation by showing that Selection Committee members do not operate in a vacuum, and that their actions are inextricably linked to the meso-and macro-context. This study draws on qualitative multi-level data that comprise institutional-level policies, recruitment and staff protocols, job postings and individual-level interviews and focus groups with Selection Committee members. Findings show that a majority of Selection Committee members consent to university policies and macro-discourses when evaluating early-career researchers, but a smaller group questions and resists these criteria. Furthermore, the analysis revealed four inequalities that emerge in the application of criteria and reflect on disciplinary differences between the Natural and Social Sciences. The article concludes that with only a few Committee members to critically question and resist formal selection criteria, they limit the pool of acceptable candidates to those who fit the narrow definition of the internationally mobile and excellent early-career researcher, which may exclude talented scholars.
This report of work package 7 of the GARCIA project centers on the revealing of gender practices ... more This report of work package 7 of the GARCIA project centers on the revealing of gender practices in the construction of academic excellence in recruitment and selection procedures. Core questions for this report are whether the criteria that have been used play out differently or similarly for male and female candidates, and how constructions of excellence are connected to the reproduction of inequalities in the research system. The construction of excellence is particularly salient for those workers who hold precarious positions, as the label of excellence is the key to their inclusion or exclusion in academia and research. This report presents a comparative analysis across GARCIA beneficiaries in Switzerland, Italy, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. The analysis is based on national research reports from these countries.
Research suggests that tall individuals have an advantage over short individuals in terms of stat... more Research suggests that tall individuals have an advantage over short individuals in terms of status, prestige, and leadership, though it is not clear why. Applying an evolutionary psychology perspective, we predicted that taller individuals are seen as more leader-like because they are perceived as more dominant, healthy, and intelligent. Being fit and physically imposing were arguably important leadership qualities in ancestral human environments—perhaps especially for males—where being a leader entailed considerable physical risks. In line with our expectations, our results demonstrate that by manipulating an individual’s stature height positively influences leadership perception for both men and women, though the effect is stronger for men. For male leaders this height leadership advantage is mediated by their perceived dominance, health, and intelligence;; while for female leaders this effect is only mediated by perceived intelligence.
Ana Hofman and Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc (eds.) (2015). Gender Dimension in Research and Curriculu... more Ana Hofman and Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc (eds.) (2015). Gender Dimension in Research and Curriculum: 12 SSH and STEM test institutions, GARCIA working papers n. 7, University of Trento (ISBN 978-88-8443-647-4).
Chapter 3 (pp. 82 - 115) shows data on gender in research and curricula in a natural sciences and a social sciences department in a Dutch university.
Farah Dubois-Shaik and Bernard Fusulier (eds.) (2015). Academic Careers and Gender Inequality: Le... more Farah Dubois-Shaik and Bernard Fusulier (eds.) (2015). Academic Careers and Gender Inequality: Leaky Pipeline and Interrelated Phenomena in Seven European Countries, GARCIA working papers n. 5, University of Trento (ISBN 978-88-8443-641-2)
Chapter 3 (pp. 62 - 79) shows data on the Leaky Pipeline phenomenon in a natural sciences and a social sciences department in a Dutch university.
In this chapter we have explored the way men and women at an engineering faculty relate to organi... more In this chapter we have explored the way men and women at an engineering faculty relate to organizational norms on combining career and care. During the data collection we discovered that care is not considered a topic of conversation within the faculty, revealing a strong prescriptive norm of acceptable behavior. The interviews and focus group revealed that academics not only nominate or recognize this organizational norm on combining career and care, but also openly negotiate and sometimes even actively and publicly challenge it.
For the analysis of formal criteria, we analysed HR-documents about career trajectories and job d... more For the analysis of formal criteria, we analysed HR-documents about career trajectories and job demands (to analyze how the HR policies are translated into formal job descriptions). We also performed a content analysis on job descriptions of vacancies between 2010-2014 in two academic fields (SSH and STEM).
To examine the criteria as applied in practice, we used 1) focus groups and interviews with committee members and 2) analysis of appointment reports. The aim was to analyse a) how committee members construct excellence (the ideal candidate), what criteria are applied in practice and how do they relate to the formal criteria in the original job description and b) the gender practices in the recruitment and selection processes.
Book Chapters by Channah Herschberg
In this chapter, we apply a practice approach, which enables us to study gender as a social and r... more In this chapter, we apply a practice approach, which enables us to study
gender as a social and relational construction (Poggio 2006). We will examine the gendering process of evaluating assistant professor candidates, an endeavour mainly carried out by the academic elite. We draw on unique information from a qualitative study on gatekeepers across six European countries and reveal how gender practices emerge in the construction of selection criteria when gatekeepers discuss their recruitment and selection practices.
This report maps the Curricula and Research Projects with a gender dimension in the two departmen... more This report maps the Curricula and Research Projects with a gender dimension in the two departments of Trento University involved in the Garcia project: the STEM unit, the Information Engineering and Computer Science Department (DISI), and the SSH, the Sociology and Social Research Department (DSRS). The gender dimension was mapped
according to its presence in the content description and to the participation
Books by Channah Herschberg
In my PhD dissertation, I study postdoc positions and tenure-track assistant professorships. Thes... more In my PhD dissertation, I study postdoc positions and tenure-track assistant professorships. These are the first positions after completing a PhD and before obtaining a more stable, permanent position in academia. Both positions are precarious in nature and for both positions senior researchers (gatekeepers) are responsible for recruitment and selection of candidates. I aim to achieve a better understanding on how inequalities come to the fore in the recruitment and selection of early-career researchers and in particular how hiring committee members construct inequalities in the recruitment and selection process.
This paper investigates how the recruitment and selection for project-based postdoc positions are... more This paper investigates how the recruitment and selection for project-based postdoc positions are organised in the current academic landscape characterised by increasing temporary research funding and how principal investigators construct the 'ideal' postdoc. Our findings are based on a qualitative comparative multiple-case study in Social and Natural Sciences departments of universities in four European countries. This study contributes to the literature on the neoliberal university and academic staff evaluation by using a systemic, power-sensitive approach that examines how postdocs enter the academic system and how manifestations of precarity are exacerbated. Our critical analysis reveals three manifestations of precarity that the current academic system creates for postdocs, related to control, contracts, and careers. We discuss the effects for individual postdocs and their careers and the quality of knowledge production in public funded higher education institutions.
This article examines how macro-discourses of internationalisation and excellence shape formal an... more This article examines how macro-discourses of internationalisation and excellence shape formal and applied selection criteria for early-career researcher positions at the meso-organisational and micro-individual levels, demonstrating how tensions between the various levels produce inequalities in staff evaluation. In this way, this article contributes to the literature on academic staff evaluation by showing that Selection Committee members do not operate in a vacuum, and that their actions are inextricably linked to the meso-and macro-context. This study draws on qualitative multi-level data that comprise institutional-level policies, recruitment and staff protocols, job postings and individual-level interviews and focus groups with Selection Committee members. Findings show that a majority of Selection Committee members consent to university policies and macro-discourses when evaluating early-career researchers, but a smaller group questions and resists these criteria. Furthermore, the analysis revealed four inequalities that emerge in the application of criteria and reflect on disciplinary differences between the Natural and Social Sciences. The article concludes that with only a few Committee members to critically question and resist formal selection criteria, they limit the pool of acceptable candidates to those who fit the narrow definition of the internationally mobile and excellent early-career researcher, which may exclude talented scholars.
This report of work package 7 of the GARCIA project centers on the revealing of gender practices ... more This report of work package 7 of the GARCIA project centers on the revealing of gender practices in the construction of academic excellence in recruitment and selection procedures. Core questions for this report are whether the criteria that have been used play out differently or similarly for male and female candidates, and how constructions of excellence are connected to the reproduction of inequalities in the research system. The construction of excellence is particularly salient for those workers who hold precarious positions, as the label of excellence is the key to their inclusion or exclusion in academia and research. This report presents a comparative analysis across GARCIA beneficiaries in Switzerland, Italy, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. The analysis is based on national research reports from these countries.
Research suggests that tall individuals have an advantage over short individuals in terms of stat... more Research suggests that tall individuals have an advantage over short individuals in terms of status, prestige, and leadership, though it is not clear why. Applying an evolutionary psychology perspective, we predicted that taller individuals are seen as more leader-like because they are perceived as more dominant, healthy, and intelligent. Being fit and physically imposing were arguably important leadership qualities in ancestral human environments—perhaps especially for males—where being a leader entailed considerable physical risks. In line with our expectations, our results demonstrate that by manipulating an individual’s stature height positively influences leadership perception for both men and women, though the effect is stronger for men. For male leaders this height leadership advantage is mediated by their perceived dominance, health, and intelligence;; while for female leaders this effect is only mediated by perceived intelligence.
Ana Hofman and Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc (eds.) (2015). Gender Dimension in Research and Curriculu... more Ana Hofman and Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc (eds.) (2015). Gender Dimension in Research and Curriculum: 12 SSH and STEM test institutions, GARCIA working papers n. 7, University of Trento (ISBN 978-88-8443-647-4).
Chapter 3 (pp. 82 - 115) shows data on gender in research and curricula in a natural sciences and a social sciences department in a Dutch university.
Farah Dubois-Shaik and Bernard Fusulier (eds.) (2015). Academic Careers and Gender Inequality: Le... more Farah Dubois-Shaik and Bernard Fusulier (eds.) (2015). Academic Careers and Gender Inequality: Leaky Pipeline and Interrelated Phenomena in Seven European Countries, GARCIA working papers n. 5, University of Trento (ISBN 978-88-8443-641-2)
Chapter 3 (pp. 62 - 79) shows data on the Leaky Pipeline phenomenon in a natural sciences and a social sciences department in a Dutch university.
In this chapter we have explored the way men and women at an engineering faculty relate to organi... more In this chapter we have explored the way men and women at an engineering faculty relate to organizational norms on combining career and care. During the data collection we discovered that care is not considered a topic of conversation within the faculty, revealing a strong prescriptive norm of acceptable behavior. The interviews and focus group revealed that academics not only nominate or recognize this organizational norm on combining career and care, but also openly negotiate and sometimes even actively and publicly challenge it.
For the analysis of formal criteria, we analysed HR-documents about career trajectories and job d... more For the analysis of formal criteria, we analysed HR-documents about career trajectories and job demands (to analyze how the HR policies are translated into formal job descriptions). We also performed a content analysis on job descriptions of vacancies between 2010-2014 in two academic fields (SSH and STEM).
To examine the criteria as applied in practice, we used 1) focus groups and interviews with committee members and 2) analysis of appointment reports. The aim was to analyse a) how committee members construct excellence (the ideal candidate), what criteria are applied in practice and how do they relate to the formal criteria in the original job description and b) the gender practices in the recruitment and selection processes.
In this chapter, we apply a practice approach, which enables us to study gender as a social and r... more In this chapter, we apply a practice approach, which enables us to study
gender as a social and relational construction (Poggio 2006). We will examine the gendering process of evaluating assistant professor candidates, an endeavour mainly carried out by the academic elite. We draw on unique information from a qualitative study on gatekeepers across six European countries and reveal how gender practices emerge in the construction of selection criteria when gatekeepers discuss their recruitment and selection practices.
This report maps the Curricula and Research Projects with a gender dimension in the two departmen... more This report maps the Curricula and Research Projects with a gender dimension in the two departments of Trento University involved in the Garcia project: the STEM unit, the Information Engineering and Computer Science Department (DISI), and the SSH, the Sociology and Social Research Department (DSRS). The gender dimension was mapped
according to its presence in the content description and to the participation
In my PhD dissertation, I study postdoc positions and tenure-track assistant professorships. Thes... more In my PhD dissertation, I study postdoc positions and tenure-track assistant professorships. These are the first positions after completing a PhD and before obtaining a more stable, permanent position in academia. Both positions are precarious in nature and for both positions senior researchers (gatekeepers) are responsible for recruitment and selection of candidates. I aim to achieve a better understanding on how inequalities come to the fore in the recruitment and selection of early-career researchers and in particular how hiring committee members construct inequalities in the recruitment and selection process.