Developing as an Academic Leader in a University of Technology in South Africa: Dealing with enabling and constraining teaching and learning environments

Mabokang Liteboho Monnapula-Mapesela

doi:10.14426/cristal.v5i2.103

Mabokang Liteboho Monnapula-Mapesela

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14426/cristal.v5i2.103

Copy DOI

Abstract

While the South African legislation is an enabler for equity, inclusiveness, social justice and the advancement of women for academic leadership roles, institutional cultures and structures are often debilitating. This paper presents the development trajectory of a Black woman as an academic development leader in a South African University of Technology. It examines structural and cultural factors acting as enablers or constraints to leadership development and career advancement for Black women. It analyses dominant structural frames and undertakings of different University stakeholders (agents), which cause stagnation and resistance to morphogenesis and government’s transformation agenda. Using Participatory Narrative Inquiry (PNI), I narrate personal experiences and insights as a participant researcher. I interrogate the experiences, observations and influence of various structural and cultural modalities within Margaret Archer’s (1995) social realist framework of structure, culture and agency. I highlight the implications of these for development of a Black female academic development leader.

Highlights

While the South African legislation is an enabler for equity, inclusiveness, social justice and the advancement of women for academic leadership roles, institutional cultures and structures are often debilitating
Many people believe that the abolition of apartheid and the systemic transformation of Higher Education in South Africa has resulted in nothing but supportive structures and cultures for all
I am aware of the various forms of institutional and disciplinary culture and academic identities that frequently constrain the transformation of Black women into academic leaders

Summary

Introduction

While the South African legislation is an enabler for equity, inclusiveness, social justice and the advancement of women for academic leadership roles, institutional cultures and structures are often debilitating. It examines structural and cultural factors acting as enablers or constraints to leadership development and career advancement for Black women. It analyses dominant structural frames and undertakings of different University stakeholders (agents), which cause stagnation and resistance to morphogenesis and government’s transformation agenda. The underlying rationale for the myriad of policy prerogatives in the South African Higher Education (HE) sector was predominantly redress of the inequities of the apartheid past by addressing and responding to the needs of all stakeholders This includes providing women, especially Black women, with equitable career and development opportunities. Two decades into democracy strides in this development in particular have been minimal (CHE, 2016) due to, amongst other things, limited institutional progress and debilitating emerging institutional cultures and structures

Methods

Conclusion