Female Academics Research Articles

What We Talk about When We Talk about Women: Benevolent Sexism in Historical Studies of Women Journalists, 1974–2023

ABSTRACT This article examines histories of women journalists published in our field’s two leading journals, American Journalism and Journalism History, to understand how these women and their work have been described by historians like us throughout the course of their publication. This article argues that much like the women journalists they study, many historians of women journalists have infused their work with “benevolent sexism,” a term that describes seemingly positive, yet covertly diminishing language reflective of the neoliberal, individualist, merit-based feminism many female academics have adopted to fit in with a male-dominated academy. Through a sociolinguistic analysis of ninety-five journal articles published about historical women journalists, this article identifies systemic problems in how we write about women and offers practical solutions to improve our work going forward.

Voices Unveiled: Navigating Intersectionality in the Political Landscape of Chinese Women in Peninsular Malaysia

This study explores the factors influencing Chinese women's involvement in politics in Peninsular Malaysia, using qualitative interviews with ten participants selected via purposive sampling. Key informants include female political representatives, male politicians, academics and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) activists. The research applies intersectionality theory to analyze how internal and external agents of political socialization and various challenges shape women's political engagement and culture. Internal socialization agents encompass education, economic status, family background, religion, ethnicity, and gender. External agents include Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), political parties, and community networks. The study identifies multiple challenges that Chinese women face, such as gender competition, cronyism, low political interest, time management conflicts, racial sentiments, sexist remarks, male dominance, competition from political opponents, and ideological barriers. These agents and challenges are intertwined and impact Chinese women's political culture, which, in turn, influences their empowerment in political, economic, and social spheres. The intersectionality framework reveals how overlapping social identities and systemic barriers shape their political experiences and efforts towards empowerment. This study provides insights into the complex dynamics affecting Chinese women's political participation and highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance their roles in politics and broader societal contexts.

Data snapshots of the access and participation of ‘women’ academics in UK universities: Questioning continued gendered, racialised and geopolitical inequalities

AbstractReplete with espoused discourses of equality, diversity and inclusion within public bodies, is the UK, wherein lauded initiatives reward its universities’ commitments to increasing the access and positioning of ‘women’ in higher education. This paper contributes a critical quantitative analysis of the state of representation and participation of academic staff within these universities generally, and the majority‐female discipline of education particularly. Education is important because it has a direct relation to social change and ethicality. It may maintain or reproduce the status quo; however, exercising its transformative potential is essential for the success of various international frameworks aiming to address global inequality, including most recently the Sustainable Development Goals. Sensitised by QuantCrit principles, a descriptive statistical exploration was undertaken of the staff composition and employment conditions captured within the administrative datasets reported on academic staff by all the public universities in the devolved nations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales from 2015 to 2020. The findings of this study confirmed: (i) the continuation of gendered inequalities across the academic hierarchy, particularly as the pyramid narrows to the assigned intellectual leadership position of ‘professor’; (ii) racialised, gendered inequalities in access to employment, and in positioning once employed; and (iii) more adverse conditions where gendered, racialised and geopolitical inequalities intersect, most extremely for Black African female academics. The study demonstrates that the centring of ‘race’ and consideration of nationality are required to challenge coloniality, and to bring to the fore the differential impacts of systems of discrimination within this globally influential sector.

Schadenfreude in Working Women of Lahore: A Phenomenological Study

Human beings have been gifted with a diverse and wonderful set of emotions. They have the ability to not only experience their own feelings, but also empathize with the emotions of others, such as being happy for someone who has conceived. Unfortunately, humans are not always moral or kind. Some people truly take pleasure in others' misery, as opposed to feeling compassion for them. Schadenfreude is defined as a feeling of satisfaction, pleasure or happiness brought on by witnessing another person's sorrow or misfortune. The present study aimed to explore the lived experiences and coping strategies of schadenfreude in working women. The sample consisted of six female faculty members which were recruited through purposive sampling. Phenomenological research design was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six faculty members. The data was analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Two sets of themes emerged from data analysis. First set of themes was related to the lived experiences of schadenfreude. The superordinate themes included social factors, personality traits, biology and upbringing, psychological indicators and organizational influences. The other set of themes was regarding the coping strategies employed by faculty to overcome schadenfreude. The superordinate themes consisted of short-te­­rm and long-term coping strategies. The findings have long-term implications it will advance our knowledge of negative emotions and the effects of interpersonal conflict on job satisfaction, stress levels, and workers' general wellbeing and therefore help to promote teamwork and long-term prosperity for the organization.

Factors for Developing Digital Skills among Faculty Members at the College of Education at Umm Al-Qura University

The study aimed to assess the digital skills of faculty members at the College of Education, Umm Al-Qura University, and identify factors influencing these skills. It also investigated whether there were statistically significant differences in digital skills based on gender, years of experience, and the number of digital skills courses. The results showed that overall digital skills were at a moderate level. Some skills, like word processing and presentation software, were high, while others, such as using certain educational platforms and programming, were lower. Faculty members believed that factors like IT support, the university's approach to technology, and training influenced their digital skills. Female faculty members had higher digital skills, and those with more experience or courses had better digital skills. The study recommended increasing the focus on enhancing faculty digital skills through technology integration and training.

A measure of pedagogical self-efficacy that predicts course evaluations for an international sample of management education faculty

PurposeThis study examined the relationship between pedagogical self-efficacy and student course evaluations among an international sample of management education faculty. We also investigated gender’s moderating role in this relationship and its impact on the development of pedagogical self-efficacy.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 professors at an international business school, identifying three subdomains of pedagogical self-efficacy: course design, classroom management, and feedback provision. We designed a 25-question faculty survey to measure pedagogical self-efficacy, administered it to 84 faculty members, and analyzed the data alongside 20,000 student course evaluations.FindingsAll three pedagogical self-efficacy domains significantly predicted student course evaluations. The self-efficacy of female faculty had a positive relationship with course evaluations across all subdomains. In contrast, the self-efficacy of male faculty had a negative relationship with course evaluations on the course design subdomain. Student evaluations of courses taught by women were 10% lower than those taught by males and male faculty had significantly higher self-efficacy ratings than their female counterparts.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that interventions designed to boost pedagogical self-efficacy can enhance student learning, irrespective of faculty gender. However, given biases in how students perceive female faculty, it is likely that female and male faculty members develop self-efficacy differently.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine how pedagogical self-efficacy affects course evaluations, focusing on gender as a potential moderator. We also added an international higher education perspective to self-efficacy theories.

A duoethnography: female academics’ experiences of gendered health issues at the intersection of middlescence, ethnic origin, social and professional status in the neoliberal academy

A duoethnography: female academics’ experiences of gendered health issues at the intersection of middlescence, ethnic origin, social and professional status in the neoliberal academy

Threads of Influence: Exploring the Nexus of History, Religion, and Culture in Shaping Chinese Women's Political Engagement in Peninsula Malaysia

The multi-ethnic factor has influenced gender-based political parties and culture. Thus, we shed light on how political socialization through indicators of religion, history, and culture influences Chinese women's behavior and political involvement in Peninsular Malaysia. The political participation of Chinese women in Malaysia remains low, as evidenced by the representation of Chinese women in decision-making sectors such as the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and Parliament. We adopt a qualitative approach through intensive interview techniques with ten purposively selected participants. The primary informants interviewed include female Chinese political representatives, male politicians, academics, and NGO activists. Ultimately, we illustrate how political socialization through cultural, religious, and historical agents influences the political involvement of Chinese women in Peninsular Malaysia. The political culture of Chinese women is not static and has evolved based on contemporary changes before and after independence. The political culture of Chinese women has shifted from referencing Mainland China to survival in Malaya.

Women academics’ motivation for higher education and empowerment: a qualitative case study in Pakistan

ABSTRACT Women’s empowerment is an important goal of the educational processes around the world. Women in developing countries need support and motivation for attaining higher education and empowerment. This qualitative-exploratory study sought to explore the perceptions of Pakistani female university academics living inside predominantly patriarchal social structures regarding their motivation for and issues in attaining higher education and empowerment. The study also aimed at understanding the notion of empowerment and areas where women academics have achieved empowered status. The study also investigated women academics’ access to higher education, and its impact on their current social positioning in a traditional social setup. A total of 30 purposefully selected women academics from public sector universities in Northwest Pakistan constituted the study sample. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that patriarchal social structures in and outside workplaces influence women academics’ motivation for higher education and empowerment. However, some motivational factors, including economic stability, professional identity in society, intellectual fulfilment and support of fathers and husbands seemed instrumental in contributing to women academics’ pursuits of higher education and attainment of positions in academia.

Perspectives of University Academics on Language Attitudes and Beliefs: A Mix Method Approach

This research aims to investigate the language attitudes and linguistic beliefs among private University academics in Lahore. It delves into the intricate interplay between Pakistan's national and its official language, investigating their influence on the perspectives of private University teachers’ language attitudes and beliefs in Lahore. Employing Spolsky's national language policy theory (2004), the study focuses on female English academics working in private Universities. Based on the observation that the majority of the faculty members of the English department are females, the research sample includes 50 female English academics working in eight private Universities in Lahore. Considering the complexity of the field of language beliefs and the linguistic diversity in Lahore, a mixed-method research (MMR) approach has been employed. The research uses an explanatory sequential approach; the quantitative data collection through an online survey was followed by short interviews of 10 randomly selected participants. A descriptive approach has been used to analyze the quantitative and the qualitative data side-by-side; the quantitative data has been analyzed using bar graphs that were obtained from Google Forms, whereas the qualitative data has been analyzed by manual thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal slight signs of linguistic biases towards the three prevalent languages in Lahore i.e.: Urdu, English, and Punjabi. Future researchers can benefit from this research to study the language attitudes and language beliefs among either Urdu or English academics working in government Universities. Comparative analysis between the current and future research endeavors promises to enrich this field further.

Understanding the Adjustment Issues in Digital Humanities Among Female Academics in Advanced Career

It is no news that the world is a global village, the trend and advancement in digital content are not limited to the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), but have extended to the humanities as well. Digital humanities are a new pathway to modern research in humanities. Pedagogy in traditional humanities has changed in the last few decades. Academics are now compelled to teach, research and offer their services with the latest innovations. There are numerous challenges with catching up with the glimpse of digital technology in service delivery in all areas of research in current times. Dealing with large data seems impossible and time-wasting with the traditional Pedagogy of humanities. Female academics in advanced careers are facing more challenges in learning and using digital tools in their day–to–day activities, hence several of them are perceived or seen as inefficient/stagnated in advancing their careers. This study identified the adjustment issues particularly faced by female advanced career academics. The study used a mixed method approach to select ten (n=10) female academics with a mean age of 60 who were purposively selected for the study from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. The participants agreed that adjusting to digital humanities has been challenging and they highlighted the present state of their abilities in using digitals as instructional materials. The study concluded that the challenges confronting female academics are numerous, hence why catching up with the digital humanities and other related issues is responsible for the stagnation and less research output among female academics. The study recommended that there should be continuous training programmes for female academics in Nigeria. This study contributes to the growing literature on empowering women in academia. Keywords: Digital Humanities, Adjustment, Advance Career, Female Academics

The Gender Pay Gap in Academia: Evidence from the Beedie School of Business

We analyzed gender pay gap in academia using detailed performance data of all faculty members at the Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, during 2012–2022. Although we initially observed a small average pay gap in favor of male academics, we found that female academics received higher remuneration compared to their male counterparts, once we controlled for research and teaching productivity, prior education and work experience, ethnicity, and various academic appointments. Our results provide an insight into possible sources of gender bias and highlight the need to control for teaching and research performance when investigating gender pay gaps.

Examining contributing factors for the implementation of inclusion students with disabilities from the perspective of university academics in Saudi Arabia

Inclusive education focuses on implementing education for individuals who do not follow typical learning trajectory and require special educational needs (SEN). Educational systems in many countries around the world, including Saudi Arabia, tend to implement and practise inclusive education in order to fulfill relevant international conventions and achieve educational standards of acceptable quality in educating children and young people with medical and neurodevelopmental conditions. This study seeks to reveal some of the factors that may help to overcome the obstacles faced in the implementation of inclusive education from the point of view of academics of special education in Saudi universities. To achieve this goal, the study used semi-structured interviews as its primary tool for data collection. Sixteen male and female faculty members specialized in special education in several Saudi public universities were interviewed. The data were analysed thematically. Two master themes were derived from the thematic analyses, 1) theoretical factors and 2) applied factors. Both master themes had several sub-themes. A number of factors were identified as helping to implement inclusive education thereby changing the behaviours and attitudes towards including students with disabilities Saudi context. It is suggested here that similar factors might exist in other countries in Middle East and beyond.

Comment on "Sexism in Academia is Bad for Science and a Waste of Public Funding".

A recent comment by Boivin et al. urges academia and governments to address sexism and fight bias at higher education and research institutions as losing female academics is costing science and society too much. Herein, I discuss further underlying reasons of sexism in academia and the importance of a deep dive into the causes of inequity at individual faculty and school levels to develop bespoke and enforceable gender equity plans, the importance of not using basic statistic as the only tool to measure equity/inequity as well as how key performance indicators could be better used to advance gender equity and end sexism in academia.

Situation Analysis of Female Academics' Career Advancement in Higher Education in Syria

This research examines factors which may be influencing female academics career advancement at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Syria. The paper conducts situation analysis on academic environment at HEI in Syria, exploring factors which may be impacting female academics experience and career progression and lack of academic representation at senior management levels. The paper examines a private HEIs investigating the environment in Syria highlighting the situation after 2011. The methodology applied in diagnosing the situation, is based on data collected from a capacity building in higher education project (CBHE), funded by Erasmus+. The methodology employs the design of questionnaire survey administered at the research target group. A one-way translation from English to Arabic is performed by expert academics and verified by linguistic experts. The sample design employs nonprobability sampling techniques. The size of the sample is 47 observations for academics. The findings of the analysis are reported across individual, and institutional levels. The research results signify that interest in research is a strong motivator; while career satisfaction still reveals an area of future development. There is still little awareness on gender issues topics, as well as little research works being performed in the scope gender research issues. The concept of gender equality has a high potential for evolution and expansion on the intermediate and long term at the institutional and socio cultural contests in Syria. The future direction of this research emphasizes developing a conceptual framework on the factors which may be affecting female academics experience and career advancement in HEIs in Syria. Furthermore, future research recommends the development of institutional and national policies in the scope of gender equality, which could be reflected at human resources practices, environment of the workplace, infusion of gender at university mission and planning, curriculum, research, and university governance.

Why might home-based work duties be perceived by female academics as extreme? A qualitative study

PurposeThis study aims to answer the following question: Why might home-based work duties be perceived by female academics as extreme?Design/methodology/approachWe employed a qualitative research method through semi-structured interviews with 33 female academics from three public universities selected from amongst 26 public institutions of higher education in Egypt. Thematic analysis was subsequently used to determine the main ideas in the transcripts.FindingsWe find that the sudden implementation of home-based work makes the academic duties of female academics extreme. Moreover, the following four factors help explain the extremity/intensity of the home-based work of female academics: mental and physical fatigue resulting from WFH, the inability to adequately meet family commitments when working from home (WFH), poor resources for home-based work and reduced ability to focus on the obstacles facing them in their academic career.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by filling a gap in human resources management and higher education in which empirical studies on female academics WFH and extreme academic duties have been limited so far.

The Effect of Remote Working Method on Female Academics: Iğdır Case

The measures taken with the The Covid-19 Pandemic have brought many changes in our lives. One of these measures, social distancing, has led to the emergence of a distinction between work from home jobs and non work from home jobs. Managers, professional occupational groups, office services employees are in the first place among remote working occupations. In this context, academicians in education, scientific and technical activities are in the category of occupations that can do most of their work remotely. Academicianship, which is one of the professions that allows working from home, how the working from home method applied, what the results are and the processes experienced by academics have been investigated in the case of female academics working at Iğdır University, and the interview technique was used in the study.The answers given by the participants were analyzed using the “MAXQDA 18” program. According to the results, participants stated that working from home has advantages and disadvantages. Accordingly, the main themes of the study were identified as the advantages of working from home and the disadvantages of working from home. The main advantages of working from home included the sub-themes of time saving, online courses, no overtime, convenience of space, saving money (economically), while the main disadvantages included the sub-themes of lack of work discipline, low work efficiency, lack of active education with the student, disruption of work-life balance, and increased time spent on childcare.

Academic trajectories in the Southern Cone: marked by the stigmatization of being a woman, migrant, or non-Caucasian

The academic trajectories of women in the Southern Cone are marked by different obstacles. From an intersectional perspective, this article asks: what are the discriminatory situations that affect the academic trajectories of women in the Southern Cone of Latin America? To address this question, a survey was conducted among 453 female academics from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Based on the collected data, a descriptive analysis was performed, to explore the type and the level of exposure to discriminatory situations, enriched with brief descriptions of the types of discrimination experienced by the academics. The findings suggest that academics in the region face discrimination based on sexism, racism, classism, xenophobia, and homophobia. Yet, although female academics in all the analyzed countries experience discrimination, it is those who identified themselves racially, as migrants and as women, who suffer the major levels of exposure to discrimination.

Culture of Silence: Exploring the Workplace Harassment and Coping Strategies of Female Academics in Higher Education of Pakistan

The phrase "culture of silence" refers to "the culture that silences women by not consenting to a lifestyle that is not talked about or talked about", so this sentence means "by accepting a lifestyle compatible with women". Pakistani women also have such good relationships all over the world, especially in the workplace, regardless of sexual violence because there are many reasons for respect for the family that affects women's leadership in other ways, so women should not be harassed by their colleagues at work. , since it is aimed at students or students or professionals at the educational level, this study is not about teachers who are bullied in schools by their male colleagues, teachers who are bullied in schools or by their students. This study is qualitative in nature and its aim is to determine the scope and impact of bullying and the solutions offered by teachers.

Women in Latin American Academia

This article discusses the gender inequality female researchers and university professors face in the social sciences in four Latin American countries: Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. The objective is to understand the forms of discrimination these women face in their work environment and analyze how these forms operate and impact their labor marginalization. It also seeks to characterize the difficulties faced by female academics in reconciling their reproductive and care responsibilities with professional practice. The second section sets out the theoretical framework and defines the concept of gender inequality. The third analyzes the gender gap in international academia, contrasting the most recent data from the Global North and South on the obstacles faced by women in professional academic settings. The fourth reviews case studies in Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina and offers a characterization of this problem in these countries. The final section presents four analytical-interpretative conclusions.