Gender Balance in the Arts - A Matter of (E)Quality?

Abstract

The Tromsø-based project Gender Balance in Art Education aims to contribute to the discussion on gender balance in higher education in the arts. On the basis of two empirical studies the project develops new knowledge about major structural and cultural challenges with gender-equality work in academia. Furthermore, the project develops innovative gender-equality measures and strategies to promote gender balance in senior positions in higher education in the arts. One of the central premises of the project is that leadership accountability is important to ensure successful gender-equality work. The project makes use of action-based research and a mixed-methods approach involving qualitative interviews, policy analysis, text analysis, critical discourse analysis, and institutional ethnography. Our findings indicate that a specific emphasis on awareness and positive feedback engages people at all institutional levels in gender equality-work.