Gender in the “promotion game”. Academic careers of women and men in Poland and Germany

Abstract

The article presents a comparative sociological study based on theoretical and empirical material focusing on the mass popularisation of higher education and reproduction of gender inequalities in academic structures in both Poland and in Germany. The empirical part focuses on analysing institutional change in higher education and its consequences for the academic job market. It also analyses trends in women’s and men’s participation in tertiary education, their place on the academic job market and the academic career paths of individuals with the title of professor or an equivalent occupational status. The article aims to answer the following questions: How have the changes in higher education and its mass popularisation influenced equal access of women and men to universities? How has that influenced the functioning of the academic job market and careers in academia? How have those changes affected the changes in personnel recruitment policies and how do those formal and informal recruitment and selection principles and processes determine academic career paths for women and men? Why does the percentage of women shrink as one moves upwards in the academic hierarchy? Who are the academic elites in both countries? An important theme of the discussion is the interpretation of observed gender inequalities and prevention of gender discrimination in the context of discussions and reforms undertaken by the European Union and countries of Western Europe, particularly Germany.