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Women in academia: some thoughts.
I’ve been around my academic space for a few years, but have only just started conducting my own primary research.
My professional role is completely intertwined with my research interests- yay! But also boo, because I can’t just...
I’ve been around my academic space for a few years, but have only just started conducting my own primary research.
My professional role is completely intertwined with my research interests- yay! But also boo, because I can’t just...
..tell men who are being misogynist or patronising to me to gtfo. It’s a real source of tension for me, because I am well supported and very privileged, and so I feel like doing so is particularly important on behalf of those who might not be and are also getting this shit.
What shit, you ask?
Well, I’m going to say this in the knowledge that many of these people may well be listening. So, I again have to be super careful about not prompting fury and outrage which could have a lot of blowback for my career. I’m not here to out people...
Well, I’m going to say this in the knowledge that many of these people may well be listening. So, I again have to be super careful about not prompting fury and outrage which could have a lot of blowback for my career. I’m not here to out people...
Or incite others to anything. I’d just like to share some frustration. I think it most likely it is almost always unintentional, that those doing this are not considering themselves sexist and don’t see their actions as part of power play. I’m not the final judge of that; who...
..can really know another’s intentions? But I would like to suggest that the evidence I have seen points to a particular way of interacting with young female researchers that seems part of a pattern. It’s exhausting to be on the end of. It accumulates.
For me it is extremely hard to separate from robust scientific scrutiny, which I welcome. Much of it is about tone, frequency, language, attitude. But ultimately, I am an experienced teacher, writer and editor even if I’m not an experience academic yet. I know what constructive..
feedback looks like. I know what a supportive working relationship feels like. And I also know the sort of reactive, intimidatory criticism that just erodes people and gatekeeps very effectively.
This is on top of women having historically a whole HEAP of other responsibilities..
This is on top of women having historically a whole HEAP of other responsibilities..
..stresses and duties, meaning their resources can be are they even thinner. It multiplies with other identity characteristics too, no doubt. So no, I’m not saying we should drop standards for anyone, but I am saying that those who have been supportive, thoughtful and kind..
..when they like my work and when they don’t, I see you. And it is meaningful to me that most of you are women. You understand that to make our academic work better, we need to build relationships and trust, too. That acknowleging someone’s humanity and their hard work before...
