By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication and Public Affairs Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

When Stine Thidemann Faber read the results of the highly publicized report on sexism at Danish universities done by the Danish Center for Social Science Research, she was not surprised. And she doesn't think the rest of the university world should be either.

"This is not new knowledge. We also knew this was a problem 20 years ago, and it was most recently confirmed by the many testimonies from Danish universities that were collected and published in 2020. It's time we stopped doing studies that confirm the same results over and over again. The time is now. We need to stop pretending that it will go away on its own. We need to start doing something. But I don’t think the way forward is codes of conduct or the like. It only contributes to polarization."

This was the call when Stine Thidemann Faber, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work gave a presentation to the members of AAU's Main Joint Consultation Committee on Tuesday, 27 August. The theme was sexism – as well as approaches and methodologies to create change. The occasion featured, among other things, the much talked about Danish Center for Social Science Research report that since its publication has given rise to great concern at AAU – and the other Danish universities. It showed that every third female PhD student experiences sexism.

Stine Thidemann Faber’s work has focused on sexism and workplace culture for many years, and the Main Joint Consultation Committee therefore asked her to lead the seminar. The associate professor had several key messages for the managers and union representatives who sit on the committee.

The findings of the report can be explained by the particular employment and working conditions of researchers, as well as the many both formal and informal hierarchies that exist at the universities. Research shows that the more precarious the employment conditions are, the more individualized and competitive the workplace culture is, and the more male-dominated a workplace is, the greater the risk of sexism and harassment.

Focus on action

Stine Thidemann Faber believes that the time has come for the university to talk more about what kind of academic workplace culture we want to do away with, and what framework for research we want to create in the future. Over the years, the universities have focused on designing action plans and making more policies, without this leading to change, said Stine Thidemann Faber.

"I feel the good intentions, but there is not a big enough change, and that is what we need to address," she explained.

Stine Thidemann Faber made it clear that there is no quick fix. This will be a long-term, preventive effort. In general, we should think about workplace culture more broadly than just focusing on sexism and offensive behaviour. This is also in step with the times where young researchers have pointed out related power issues in the university world with the #pleasedontstealmywork campaign.

"We must of course make sure that the organizational infrastructure that can handle sexism and offensive behaviour is in place so that those who need help can get it. We need to be on top of procedures and work procedures, and managers at all levels must be better equipped. But it is also very much about working preventively on workplace culture at all levels, for example by taking a closer look at the academic feedback culture and creating increased awareness among both managers and staff," Stine Thidemann Faber explained.

"We need to be each other's allies. You have to say ‘no’ right away in situations where the tone becomes too harsh or someone crosses the line. This benefits everyone. When researchers thrive and when collaboration in research groups is perceived as strong, inclusive and constructive, this then makes for a good framework for conducting excellent research," she added.

Group work on a complex challenge

She asked the members of the Main Joint Consultation Committee to discuss in groups possible initiatives that can strengthen a good workplace culture at AAU. The conversation was lively, and everyone seemed to agree that this is a complex issue that calls for different initiatives.

The members discussed, for example, the need for increased focus on the importance and role of research group leaders, the possibility of making well-being a benchmark and agenda item in line with obtaining external funding and publications, and a focus on better articulation of the workplace culture desired at onboarding meetings for new staff members.

The Main Joint Consultation Committee will continue to work on discussions and initiatives. Read below what a handful of the participants took away from the day and their suggestions on where AAU should first take action to create a good workplace culture.

What is the most important point you took away from the seminar?

Anne Marie: This is super important and very complex. I find that there is a lot of good will, but also that it is difficult to point to simple solutions.

Louiza: There were a number of important points, but I particularly noticed how important it is that we keep the focus on articulating the work culture we want to have at AAU – rather than what we don't want. In addition, it is important that this is done through an organizational change that is long-term and initiated by the AAU Executive Management.

Frederik: That it’s the colleagues in temporary positions who can get into difficult situations, and there is a serious risk of pushing talented younger women out of the universities if we don’t recognize soon that sexism is a problem. In addition, the most important thing is probably that sexism thrives in environments with very complex, as well as unequal, power structures. And it is precisely these structures that can make it difficult to acknowledge the problems – and also difficult to solve them. Another important point was that our organization is at particular risk of having these working environment problems. This is due to a combination of circumstances such as temporary/precarious employment, a competitive environment, scarce resources (and conflicts over these) and formal/informal hierarchy.

In your opinion, where should we start first in creating a better workplace culture at AAU?

Anne Marie: Work culture is important for everyone, but one of the things I took away from the seminar is that we should particularly focus on early-career researchers – PhD students and postdocs in particular.

Louiza: I think it is important to create awareness of the framework for a good workplace culture and to ensure that the "AAU spirit" is strengthened. This means strengthening the sense of community, for example through initiatives such as 'active allyship', or the new initiative 'excellence and kindness in research training' where the focus is on the "privileged" standing together with the "vulnerable" and focusing on good relationships. In addition, we should not assume that you are a good mentor, supervisor or manager, but rather ensure that everyone is trained to be one.  

Frederik: We must start in the work in day-to-day life. We must jointly discuss how communities of interest arise in day-to-day life, but also conflicts and power relations. For example, the research group is characterized by the fact that we are both mutually dependent and have different interests. This applies, for example, to the senior researcher who is the project manager for a project that they have externally funded, as well as the PhD student or postdoc who is employed on the research project – while also having to maintain their employment or advance. This also applies to the relationship between the head of department who must help achieve the dean's/faculty's objectives, and the same head of department's relationship with research colleagues, administrative staff and others who must deliver results. We need to be better at talking about working life relationships and creating transparency in these relationships, power relations (formal and informal) and the working environment that results.

What is your experience of the workplace culture at AAU?

Louiza: I have the impression that it’s under pressure. There are a number of uncertainties – often external – like reforms that have a negative impact and have created a more unstable working life and less security in employment at universities in general. The way performance is measured, for example on publications, external funding, etc., also seems to promote a competitive culture that increases the focus on one's own gain rather than the community.

Frederik: In this context, it is obvious to focus on the problems. This does not mean that everything is problematic, but there are nevertheless working environment problems. In this perspective, I experience a culture where colleagues are under pressure in the form of stress and really irritating things like sexism and offensive behaviour. We simply have some working environment problems that we need to change as a community. And that probably requires more fundamental cultural changes.  

What can you, me and the individual do to promote a good workplace culture at AAU?

Anne Marie: Respect for colleagues and students is the most important thing for me. As pro-rector, I think we have a big challenge in working systematically on a good work culture. As I said at the beginning, this is super important and very complex.

Louiza: I think the most important thing is to become aware of what a good work culture entails and live accordingly. Perhaps you don’t think about the fact that, for example, it’s a subtle form of sexism when you show consideration for a woman by depriving her of an area of responsibility because she has small children. So I think the most important thing is that we do what we do best at a university – that is, that we learn more about the subject so that we can act appropriately.

Frederik: One of the things I learned from the seminar is that sexism exists on a continuum, meaning that there are different boundaries or types of sexism. And we must, in all the aspects of the workplace we are part of, counteract all forms on the sexism continuum.