Climbing the academic ladder: Chinese women academics seeking recognition on the way to becoming professors

Abstract

With the escalation of academic ranks, gender gap is becoming increasingly significant in Chinese academia. We qualitatively explore what hinders Chinese women academics from attaining the rank of professor, how and why these hindrances are constructed, and how these women identified with those hindrances. The findings suggest that they seek recognition as both women and as academics with contested expectations, so that they are confronted with three disadvantages: lack of funding and network, gendered career aspiration, and shortage of role models. We conclude that their desire to be recognized in dual norms reshapes the self-identification of these women academics and this forms their obstacles in climbing the academic ladder.