The Gendered Spaces and Experiences of Female Faculty in Colleges of Agriculture*

Abstract

AbstractThe “leaky pipeline” metaphor has been used to describe the dearth of women in science, technology, and leadership roles. For colleges of agriculture within land grant universities (LGUs), college leadership and tenured faculty in agricultural science disciplines have historically been disproportionately male, even though women earn nearly an equal number of doctorates. Conscious gender discrimination may account for some of these disparities; however, this is not the only cause of this imbalance. Gendered constructions of the division of labor and allocation of power within organizational cultures are also important to consider when addressing gender inequalities. Using a qualitative feminist methodology, we explored the intersection of identity, social roles, and gendered organizational cultures in colleges of agriculture and life sciences for female faculty. Findings reflect how gender norms have shifted through time as more female faculty join academic units yet, subtle bias and the institutional culture of large LGUs still influence behavioral expectations and perceived gender roles. However, the power of academic leaders to support equality indicates a type of local level influence that can push against the structural constraints of the institution. We also discuss specific recommendations for academic departments and leaders of colleges of agriculture and life sciences.