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The norm of universalism in sciences. Social origin and gender of researchers in Denmark

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  • Heine Andersen

    (University of Copenhagen)

Abstract

Implied by the norm of universalism in modern science, known from Merton's CUDOS-normset, is the demand that scientific careers should be open to talents, independent of personalattributes such as race, religion, class, and gender. In spite of a large amount of studies related toCUDOS-norms very few deals with class origin of researchers. Based on a survey among a sampleof 788 Danish researchers this article investigates class bias, compared to gender bias inresearcher recruitment and careers, and researcher assessments of impartiality and objectivity ofevaluations and reward system. The data demonstrate very strong class bias, and also confirm thewell-known gender bias in recruitment, class bias being the strongest. This is shown to be mainlybecause of bias in the educational system, however. Concerning later career attainment bias is alsofound, but much weaker, and most pronounced concerning social origin. Regarding researcherassessments of impartiality there are no indications of strong mistrust among researchers ingeneral; nor are there significant differences in degree of trust in reward system, conditioned byclass origin or gender. In conclusion, the analysis does not lend strong support to an assumption ofdeviance from norms of universalism.

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  • Heine Andersen, 2001. "The norm of universalism in sciences. Social origin and gender of researchers in Denmark," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 50(2), pages 255-272, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:50:y:2001:i:2:d:10.1023_a:1010521606702
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1010521606702
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    Cited by:

    1. Ho Fai Chan & Benno Torgler, 2020. "Gender differences in performance of top cited scientists by field and country," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2421-2447, December.
    2. Loarne-Lemaire, Séverine Le & Bertrand, Gaël & Razgallah, Meriam & Maalaoui, Adnane & Kallmuenzer, Andreas, 2021. "Women in innovation processes as a solution to climate change: A systematic literature review and an agenda for future research," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Tahereh Dehdarirad & Anna Villarroya & Maite Barrios, 2015. "Research on women in science and higher education: a bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 103(3), pages 795-812, June.
    4. Anna Villarroya & Maite Barrios & Angel Borrego & Amparo Frías, 2008. "PhD theses in Spain: A gender study covering the years 1990–2004," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 77(3), pages 469-483, December.
    5. Hajar Sotudeh & Nahid Khoshian, 2014. "Gender differences in science: the case of scientific productivity in Nano Science & Technology during 2005–2007," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(1), pages 457-472, January.
    6. Lutz Bornmann & Jürgen Enders, 2004. "Social origin and gender of doctoral degree holders," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 61(1), pages 19-41, September.
    7. Jouni Helin & Kristian Koerselman & Terhi Nokkala & Timo Tohmo & Jutta Viinikainen, 2019. "Equal Access to the Top? Measuring Selection into Finnish Academia," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(1), pages 90-100.
    8. Hajar Sotudeh & Nahid Khoshian, 2014. "Gender, web presence and scientific productivity in nanoscience and nanotechnology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(3), pages 717-736, June.

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