The discreet habits of subtle violence: an approach to the experiences of women full professors in neoliberal times

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the subtle violence that women full professors experience within the National University of Colombia (NU) under neoliberal policies. To this end, it presents semi-structured interviews conducted with 24 women full professors. The content analysis of the interviews, based on grounded theory, shows that the professors are subjected to subtle violence resulting from two discreet habits: (1) infliction of moral injury (being forgotten by the neoliberal system; envy; discrediting), and (2) disruption of the academic performance (work overload; job obstruction; poaching thesis students away). The findings suggest that professors’ lives have been affected by lack of funds and peer competition. Further, there is the issue of care, as well as domestic activities, leading to a double burden, which makes it difficult to fulfil the neoliberal productivist mandates. In this way, neoliberal policies allow the continuation of reinforcing gender roles and stereotypes that result in unequal conditions for women in the academy.