Cooperation network
"Gender Studies in the North-West Region"

University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven (FH OOW) -
Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Oldenburg (ZFG)

• Founding a co-operation
• Co-operation agreement
• Co-operation work
• Steering group
• Co-operation office
• Coordinator
• In progress - current projects and events
• Gender Days
• Think - Participate - Co-operate

At the launch event in November 2004, the cooperation network "Gender Studies in the North-West Region" was presented to the general public as another important focus of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies. The co-operation network is an association of gender researchers from the ZFG and the University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven (FH OOW).

On 2 February 2006, the day of the ZFG's fifth anniversary, the cooperation agreement between the FH OOW and the University of Oldenburg was signed by the Vice President of the FH OOW, Prof. Dr. Manfred Weisensee, and the Vice President of the University of Oldenburg, Gerlinde Walter, in a festive ceremony. The cooperation agreement provided institutional support for the already extremely fruitful work of the cooperation network.

The aim of the co-operation is to pool existing resources in order to achieve synergy effects by establishing and expanding appropriate working structures and personnel framework conditions, and to develop joint projects and work plans in research, teaching and technology transfer, whereby institutions, companies and administrations in the region can be involved in these activities.

The declared aim of the cooperation network is to pool and network expertise in the field of gender research. The focus is on strengthening gender research in the north-west region of Lower Saxony through the intensive exchange of academics from the university locations and the development of research collaborations. The co-operation work relates to various fields of work:
- to the field of science (joint research projects, conferences, workshops)
- to scientific exchange (study programmes, courses, guest lectures, lecture series)
- to the field of regional networking with regard to application and research-related cooperation with regional gender actors, e.g. in institutions, associations, companies and administrations.

The network is managed by a steering group consisting of representatives from the respective universities.

Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies, University of Oldenburg and University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven (FH OOW)

Prof Dr Heike Fleßner (Education, ZFG)

Prof Dr Irene Pieper-Seier (Mathematics, ZFG)

Prof. Dr Ulrike Schleier (Mathematics/Statistics Wilhelmshaven, FH OOW Wilhelmshaven)

Prof. Dr Renate Kosuch (Social Work/Emden, FH OOW Emden)

The coordination office of the cooperation network "Gender Studies in the North-West Region" has been based at the University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven since 1 September 2007 as part of the "Gender Competence in Teaching, Studies and Practice" project.

Coordinator
Christiane Heidenfelder is responsible for the coordination and further development of the co-operation network "Gender Studies in the North-West Region". She studied sociology, political science and women's and gender studies at the University of Oldenburg and worked there as a research assistant. Outside the university, she worked in public relations and event planning.

Until 21 February 2007, the office of the cooperation network was located in the ZFG at the University of Oldenburg and was headed by the educational scientist Dr Sabine Jösting. From 21 February to 31 August 2007, the management of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies/ZFG coordinated the cooperation network. The educational scientist Dr Michaela Kuhnhenne was the coordinator of the cooperation network from 1 September.

INFORMATION BROCHURE Cooperation Network

FH OOW Wilhelmshaven - Working Group "Women's Studies in Industrial Engineering and Management":
The internal departmental working group at the FH OOW Wilhelmshaven site is concerned with the safeguarding and further development of women's studies in industrial engineering, which not only celebrated its 10th anniversary in autumn 2007, but also the awarding of the 18th Lower Saxony SPD Women's Prize. The working group also discusses fundamental questions on gender differences and the significance of gender with regard to university didactic concepts and the resulting consequences for the participation of women in technical and scientific degree programmes. In this context, the question of how the women's degree programme affects the entire faculty and what benefits can also result from the women's degree programme for male students will also be pursued. Further information: Women's Studies Programme

Model project "Gender Mainstreaming at the Faculty of Social Work and Health", FH OOW, Emden campus

The project picks up on central impulses from the predecessor project "Was für Jungs" (What for Boys) at the Department of Social Work and Health. The Faculty of Social Work and Health is undergoing a gender mainstreaming process. One of the long-term goals is to attract more male students, especially for the social work, integrative early education and health degree programmes in the department, and to increase the gender competence of all students in reflection, analysis and (pre-)academic appointments. To this end, the paths taken by male and female students to study social work and their motivation to study will be explored in an intersectional analysis, specific guidelines for the gender mainstreaming process will be drawn up and the New Paths for Boys Future Day will be held on 24 April 2008 with the support of student mentors. The aim is to anchor this and other programmes within the framework of vocational orientation and life planning in a modular way (e.g. boys' work - girls' work in school social work, profiling area). The project is involved in the Boys' Work Forum and is networked with the nationwide initiative "New Paths for Boys".

Project leader:

Prof. Dr Renate Kosuch
Department of Social Work and Health
Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven University of Applied Sciences
Emden
Constantiaplatz 4
26723 Emden
Tel.: 04921-897-1146
Fax: 04921-807-1251
Email:

Project counselling:

Margrit Mooraj, Central Equal Opportunities Officer at the FH OOW

Elisabeth Kirchhoff, research assistant in the predecessor project "Was für Jungs!", FH OOW

Carmen Nemeth, Equal Opportunities Officer, Emden University of Applied Sciences

FH OOW and ZFG - Oldenburg FORUM JUNGENARBEIT

In February 2006, the Oldenburg "Forum Jungenarbeit" was founded together with the following co-operation partners:

Roswitha Christians, Central Women's and Equal Opportunities Officer of the FH OOW/Oldenburg
(Roswitha Christians left the FH OOW on 31 December 2006. Her successor is Margrit Mooraj).

Dipl. Soz.Wiss. Elisabeth Kirchhoff, Coordinator of the project "Was für Jungs", FH OOW/Oldenburg

Dipl. Päd. Michael Herschelmann, Child Protection Centre Oldenburg

The forum was founded following a conference organised by the ZFG in 2004 entitled "Boys' Work. Dialogue between Practice and Science" held by the ZFG in 2004. Following the conference, a great need was expressed for more knowledge transfer on the subject of "boys' work" and appreciative communication between theorists and practitioners. By initiating the forum, the cooperation partners are responding to these wishes and providing interested parties with a space for dialogue between academia and practice. The kick-off event of the FORUM took place on 8 June 2006 at the University of Oldenburg. The FORUM meets four times a year.
Further information/coordination: Michael Herschelmann,

FH OOW Emden site and ZFG, University of Oldenburg - empirical research project:

An empirical research project is planned on the topic
"Family-related measures in companies, authorities and institutions that explicitly address fathers as well. Inventory - utilisation - experiences" is planned. The project is being designed in co-operation with the gender researchers at the Emden University of Applied Sciences:

Prof. Dr Karin Luckey (Social Services/Emden)
Prof. Dr Renate Kosuch (Social Services/Emden)
Prof. Dr Ingrid Burdewick (Social Services/Emden)
Prof. Dr Frauke Koppelin (Social Services/Emden)

One contribution to the overall project is the research project "Participation of fathers in public childcare and education" planned by Prof. Dr Karin Flaake, Prof. Dr Heike Fleßner and Dr Michaela Kuhnhenne. A study is planned for Lower Saxony on the involvement of fathers in the work of crèches and day care centres. On the one hand, the study will focus on changes within the family in the gender-specific division of labour in connection with greater involvement of fathers in daycare centres. On the other hand, the prerequisites, potentials and conditions in crèches and daycare centres that promote the involvement of fathers are examined, as well as changes in the institutional climate due to a stronger presence of men. In the first phase of the project, students of education at the University of Oldenburg will be investigating these questions in selected centres in Oldenburg and the surrounding area in the winter semester 07/08.

The work of the cooperation network to date has shown that the topic of "gender in university teaching" runs like a common thread through the discussions, co-operations, workshops and specialist days. The topic is an important component of the network's work and is discussed and developed at various levels. In addition to workshops on gender-equitable teaching, the Gender Days, which were organised for the first time in summer 2005 at the Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven University of Applied Sciences (FH OOW), form an important building block. Since 2006, the Gender Days have been held across all universities at the FH OOW and the University of Oldenburg.

The aim of the Gender Days is to publicise the importance of gender research in the various academic disciplines. As part of the Gender Days, university lecturers present aspects of gender studies in their own research focus or invite experts from teaching, research and practice. The Gender Days aim to encourage lecturers and students to engage with gender-specific subject and cross-cutting issues and to try out new forms of teaching and learning.

Inter-university Gender Days 2008 - "Gender in teaching and research"

From 25 to 27 November 2008, the Gender Days took place for the third time at the University of Oldenburg and for the fourth time at the University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wielhelmshaven (FH OOW).

Today, gender knowledge is an important part of the professional skills of university graduates. The aim of the Gender Days is therefore to make the diversity of gender issues in teaching, research and practice visible. A variety of events are offered within the regular lectures and seminars.
The university libraries in Emden and Wilhelmshaven hosted the exhibitions "Technology in a Corset" and "Women and Technology - Opportunities for the Future".
The joint programme of the GenderTage 2008 can be found at
GenderTage 2008

Inter-university GenderDays 2007 - "Gender in teaching and research"

The GenderTage 2007 took place from 27 to 29 November 2007.
A variety of events (symposium, exhibitions, courses, lectures) were offered at the study locations of the University of Applied Sciences FH OOW and at the University of Oldenburg.
Gender Days 2007

Inter-university Gender Days 2006 - "Gender in teaching and research"

The GenderTage 2006 took place from 21 to 23 November 2006.
In 2006, the Gender Days were held for the first time across universities at the FH OOW and the University of Oldenburg. Workshops on "Gender in the university" and "Gender in the natural sciences" were held at the University of Oldenburg. At the FH OOW, gender topics were introduced into regular courses with tandem teaching and a new form of teaching was trialled.
Gender Days 2006

Inter-university Gender Days 2005 - "Gender in Teaching"

From 31 May to 2 June 2005, Gender Days were held for the first time at the University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Ostfriesland/Wilhelmshaven.

The aim of the Gender Days was to encourage as many lecturers as possible to develop gender-specific subject and cross-sectional issues in teaching. At the same time, the aim was to raise awareness of gender-relevant dimensions.
Gender Days 2005

04 March 2008

3rd Oldenburg symposium "Gender mainstreaming and schools - impulses for the theory and practice of gender relations

The 3rd Oldenburg symposium on gender mainstreaming and schools took place on 4 March 2008. The 2008 symposium was organised in cooperation with the Weser-Ems district association of the Education and Science Trade Union, the ZFG and the Cooperation Network for Gender Studies in the North-West Region.
It focussed on the topic of gender mainstreaming. The central questions of the symposium were: How can gender mainstreaming concepts be developed for schools? What do visions of a gender-equitable school look like? How can gender mainstreaming be implemented in schools at the various levels of interaction, organisational structures and cultures? What supporting and inhibiting factors need to be considered when implementing gender mainstreaming in schools?

In addition to specialist presentations, the symposium offers the opportunity to contribute to the solution of these questions in working groups in which the expertise of all participants is required. The ideas formulated in the working groups will be discussed in the concluding panel discussion.

The 2006 symposium "Gender and School" dealt with everyday school practice and school development processes with regard to gender relations, while the 2007 symposium "Ethnic Diversities, Gender and School" analysed the complex interplay of ethnicity and gender constructions.

27 April 2006

Congress for boys

University of Applied Sciences FH OOW / Emden site

Parallel to the regular GIRL'S DAY event programme, which was held for the fourth time at the FH OOW, a special event for boys was held for the first time in 2006 - the "Congress for Boys".

Monday, 30 January 2006

Gender interactions in university teaching

Thursday, 29 June 2005

Demanding instead of promoting - Is there a threat of a paradigm shift in child and youth welfare under the impression of Hartz IV?

Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies/Cooperation Network Gender Studies Northwest Region
Gender Institute Hamburg-Steinkimmen-Oldenburg

Programme

Perspective on gender
Kick-off event of the cooperation network
"Gender research in the north-west region"

Programme

The co-operation network pursues its goals on two levels. Firstly, at the university level by pooling and strengthening gender research and secondly by developing gender competences and applied gender research against the background of the specific problems, experiences and needs in the North-West region of Lower Saxony. The gender research anchored at the universities and its protagonists would like to actively contribute their scientific knowledge and research potential to the social dialogues and practical discourses in the North-West region and, for their part, call on the regional gender actors, psychosocial providers and social institutions to cooperate:

Think along - Join in - Co-operate with us

Thinking and participating can take a wide variety of forms.
Perhaps you have attended one of our events and would like to comment on it?
Perhaps you have suggestions and tips on what we could do better?
Perhaps you can think of something about a current or planned project?
Perhaps you already see concrete opportunities for co-operation?
Perhaps you have questions about gender issues?
Perhaps you would like to get to know one of the cooperation partners?
Perhaps you are an important advisor for the next conference?
Perhaps you need competent speakers for gender training courses in your institutions, companies, authorities or associations?
Perhaps you would like to purchase our publications?

Whatever the case may be - just get in contact and help make the cooperation network a lively place of dialogue, a place that provides space for the development of a wide range of perspectives on gender research and gender practice.