Athena SWAN: “Institutional peacocking” in the neoliberal university

This paper contributes to understandings of how Athena SWAN (AS) is shaping contemporary equality work in the context neoliberal university, and whether it contributing performative ways doing work. We center our research on exploration question gender-agenda being captured by agenda, drawing 35 in-depth qualitative interviews with AS champions across UK Republic Ireland. The core aim study explore has been co-opted mobilized as a vehicle for (neoliberal) argue that rather than transformational change, serves an effective tool institutional reputation gains (extended) virtue signaling, conceptualized coined here “institutional peacocking.” turn, functions implemented diverse settings, primarily benefit, at cost who carry out gender contribute empirically conceptually theorizations current higher education, especially through champions' experience benefits present opportunity costs some individuals, potentially serving further entrench stereotyped perceptions should be universities, critically, institutions benefit.