Critical Approaches to Women and Gender in Higher Education: Reaching the Tipping Point for Change

Abstract

This volume has highlighted why gender needs to become and be maintained as an important issue in higher education. By compiling a range of perspectives on its role in higher education, we argue that we need to problematize gender in order for change to occur in the academy. This chapter synthesizes the main points of the volume. Using questions on gender and positionality as a guide creates a platform for this synthesis. Further, we consider how feminist standpoint theory (Harding, Sandra G., Introduction: Standpoint theory as a site of political, philosophic, & scientific debate. In The feminist standpoint theory reader: Intellectual and political controversies, ed. Sandra G. Harding, 1–16. New York: Routledge, 2004a; Harding, Sandra G., The feminist standpoint theory reader: Intellectual and political controversies. Psychology Press, 2004b) provides a mechanism for achieving the objective of thinking differently about gender in higher education settings. We focus on implications for practice. What does it mean to incorporate gender issues for leaders and organizations? For faculty and staff? For students? What type of policy changes are required? How do individuals and groups take advantage of different forms of power to support change in higher education?