The Use Of Gender In Academic Administrative Language For Equal Opportunity Education

The Single Committees of Guarantee (CUG) of the Italian Universities promote equal opportunities among all those who work or study at the University, proposing measures and actions aimed at preventing, opposing and removing all forms of discrimination, direct and indirect, related to gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, disability, religion, language, personal and political convictions, in access to employment, treatment and working conditions and safety at work. The CUG prepares plans of positive actions aimed at preventing discrimination and promoting conditions of effective equality, promote the dissemination of the culture of equal opportunities, implement actions aimed at fostering the creation of a working environment marked by organizational well-being, countering any form of moral, physical or psychological discrimination and ensuring the adoption of policies to reconcile work and life times. The CUG of the University of Bari Aldo Moro has immediately focused on the importance of language in the process of identity construction. The correct use of gender in administrative texts is, in fact, a very concrete way to strengthen gender equality and promote respect for differences within the education system, constituting an important safeguard in the fight against discrimination from an equal opportunities perspective. The work on these issues has distant roots when, in 1987, Alma Sabatini's pioneering study entitled "Sexism in the Italian language” was published, sponsored by the then National Commission for Equality and Equal Opportunities between men and women, followed by several studies, including those of Prof. Cecilia Robustelli, who for many years has been conducting extensive and in-depth research on the use of gender in administrative language. As recalled by Minister Valeria Fedeli in the preface of the 2018 Guidelines for the use of gender in administrative language of the MIUR, also the Accademia della Crusca has repeatedly highlighted how a non-sexist and non-discriminatory use of Italian is possible without forcing, but simply paying attention to what is said or written, while continuing to use grammatical gender according to the regular norms of our language. Since the use of language is collective, its modification cannot be left to the initiative of the individual, but the change must be initiated with a conscious and active reflection on the part of the community, overcoming all forms of linguistic prejudice. It is, in fact, evident how the resistance of public discourse and many media to the use of regular femininities in reference to women who perform functions that were once exclusively male is still marked. Language configures personal identity, acts in the manifestation of identity. Our contribution illustrates the work of the "Gender Language" group, coordinated by the writer, of the " Guarantee Committee for Equal Opportunities, the enhancement of the welfare of those who work and against discrimination" (CUG) of the University of Bari that has elaborated the draft of the guidelines for the use of gender in the administrative language of UNIBA. 837 Gender And Agency In Academic Career Advancement Paths Santero, Arianna (University of Turin, Italy) · Cannito, Maddalena (Univertisy of Trento, Italy) · Naldini, Manuela (University of Turin, Italy) Keywords: Gender equality, Career advancement paths, Italian academia, Glass ceiling, University Gender continues to shape academic careers at different levels. As in other countries, women remain significantly underrepresented in Italy both in early career stages and in full professorships and leadership positions (Miur 2018; Bozzon, Murgia & Villa 2017; Checchi, Cicognani & Kulic 2018; Murgia & Poggio 2019; Picardi 2019; Filandri & Pasqua 2019; Gaiaschi & Musumeci 2020). Vertical gender segregation and underepresentation of women in higher academic levels, including top decision-making positions, are widely recognized as glass-ceiling phenomenon (Roberto, Rey & Maglio 2020; Connell 2006; Ryan, Haslam & Postmes 2007; Wright, Cooper & Luff 2017). The paper focuses on gender gaps in Italy with regard to access to apical positions and the role played by individual agency. Theorizing about gender structures differentiate inequalities at individual level, for the development of gendered selves; at cultural level,