Early career women academics: a case study of working lives in a gendered institution

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Date
2019
Authors
Lewin, Thandi
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract in other languages 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘚𝘦𝘚𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘴𝘪𝘡𝘶𝘭𝘶
Abstract
𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 This study was informed by my interest in a set of inter-related policy concerns about the academic profession in South Africa. Academic staff in South African universities remain predominantly white and male at senior levels, the pace of demographic change has been slow, and not enough young people are choosing academic careers and being retained in academic jobs. Women, and black women in particular, are significantly under-represented in the professoriate. The imperatives for change in South African higher education in the post-apartheid era have been linked both to social justice demands for a more equitable, representative and transformed system, as well as global pressures for more accountable, productive and competitive universities. Despite progressive policy frameworks, South African universities retain highly gendered and racialised institutional cultures, which create constraints for academic staff in building academic careers. However, policy has limitations, and deeper exploration is needed to understand gender inequity. There is a dearth of research on the working lives of academics in the South African academy, in particular on the experiences of early career academics and women in the early career. This study explored the working lives of a small group of early career academic women in one faculty at one institution through narrative research, informed by the following research questions: • How does gender impact on academic working lives, career development choices and professional identities of selected early career academic women? • How do early career academic women understand, experience and mediate gendered institutional environments and how does this affect their professional functioning and agency? • What does this reveal about why gender inequalities persist in universities? This study used a combination of feminist theorisation about organisations and the capability approach as a framework for analysis. Institutions are gendered in multi-dimensional ways and this impacts profoundly on academic lives and career trajectories. Gendered institutions affect the everyday experiences of academic women. Gender is implicated in the way institutions are structured and how they operate. Job structures, expectations and workloads are gendered. Gendered everyday interactions (which can be both overt and invisible) and individuals’ own gendered socialisation, influence how women navigate academic working lives. All these factors affect how early career academic women form professional academic identities and what kinds of career trajectories they follow. While academic careers emerge as multi-dimensional, systems of recognition are relatively one-dimensional. Experiences are diverse – some academics are able to successfully navigate institutions and achieve well-being- while others struggle to achieve a sense of stability. The capability approach offered a normative social justice framing of the data, allowing for an exploration of individual experiences. It highlighted valued aspects of working lives, explored constraints and enabling factors, and ultimately arrived at a set of contextual and multi-dimensional valued capability dimensions. From the narratives and engagement with other capability sets, five capability dimensions emerged, based on the valued and aspirational functionings of the nine participants: • navigation: to be able to navigate academic life successfully; • recognition: to be able to be recognised and valued for one’s academic work; • autonomy: to be able to achieve professional autonomy; • affiliation: to be able to participate in social and professional networks; and • aspiration: to be able to aspire to a professional academic career. The usefulness of these five dimensions is that they provide a way of understanding what kinds of careers early career academic women want, and therefore suggest ways in which institutions can reduce institutional barriers and enhance opportunities for career development and well-being. ___________________________________________________________________
𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 Hierdie studie is ingelig deur my belangstelling in 'n stel interverwante beleidsbekommernisse oor die akademiese beroep in Suid-Afrika. Akademiese personeel aan Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite bly oorwegend wit en manlik op senior vlakke, die tempo van demografiese verandering was stadig, en nie genoeg jongmense kies akademiese loopbane en word in akademiese poste behou nie. Vroue, en veral swart vroue, is aansienlik onderverteenwoordig in die professoraat. Die vereistes vir verandering in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys in die post-apartheidera is gekoppel aan sosiale geregtigheidseise vir 'n meer regverdige, verteenwoordigende en getransformeerde stelsel, sowel as globale druk vir meer verantwoordbare, produktiewe en mededingende universiteite. Ten spyte van progressiewe beleidsraamwerke, behou Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite hul hoogs geslagtelike en rasgebaseerde institusionele kulture, wat beperkings daarstel vir akademiese personeel om akademiese loopbane te bou. Beleid het egter beperkings, en dieper ondersoek is nodig om geslagsongelykheid te verstaan. Daar is 'n gebrek aan navorsing oor die werkslewe van akademici in die Suid-Afrikaanse akademie, veral oor die ervarings van vroeë loopbaanakademici en vroue vroeër in hul loopbaan. Hierdie studie het die werkslewe van 'n klein groepie akademiese vroue vroeër in hul loopbaan in een fakulteit by een instelling ondersoek, deur narratiewe navorsing, ingelig deur die volgende navorsingsvrae: •Hoe beïnvloed geslag die akademiese werkslewe, loopbaanontwikkelingskeuses en professionele identiteite van geselekteerde akademiese vroue vroeër in hul loopbaan? •Hoe verstaan, ervaar en bemiddel akademiese vroue vroeër in hul loopbaan, geslagtelike institusionele omgewings en hoe beïnvloed dit hul professionele funksionering en agentskap? •Wat openbaar dit oor hoekom geslagsongelykheid in universiteite voortduur? Hierdie studie het 'n kombinasie van feministiese teorieë oor organisasies en die vermoë-benadering as 'n raamwerk vir analise gebruik. Instellings handhaaf op multi-dimensionele maniere geslagsongelykheid en dit het 'n groot impak op akademiese lewens en loopbaantrajekte. Geslagtelike instellings beïnvloed die alledaagse ervarings van akademiese vroue. Geslag word geïmpliseer in die manier waarop instellings gestruktureer is en hoe hulle funksioneer. Posstrukture, verwagtinge en werkladings is geslagtelik. Geslagtelike alledaagse interaksies (wat openlik en onopsigtelik kan wees) en individue se eie geslagtelike sosialisering, beïnvloed hoe vroue hul akademiese werkslewe navigeer. Al hierdie faktore beïnvloed hoe akademiese vroue vroeër in hul loopbaan professionele akademiese identiteite vorm en watter soort loopbaanrigtings hulle volg. Terwyl akademiese loopbane as multidimensioneel na vore kom, is stelsels van erkenning relatief eendimensioneel. Ervarings is uiteenlopend – sommige akademici is in staat om suksesvol deur instellings te navigeer en welstand te bereik – terwyl ander sukkel om 'n gevoel van stabiliteit te verkry. Die vermoë-benadering het 'n normatiewe sosiale geregtigheid-raamwerk van die data gebied, wat 'n verkenning van individuele ervarings moontlik gemaak het. Dit het gewaardeerde aspekte van die werkslewe uitgelig, beperkings en bemagtigende faktore ondersoek, en uiteindelik by 'n stel kontekstuele en multi-dimensionele gewaardeerde vermoë-dimensies uitgekom. Uit die narratiewe en betrokkenheid by ander vermoëns het vyf vermoë-dimensies na vore gekom, gebaseer op die gewaardeerde en aspirerende funksionering van die nege deelnemers: •navigasie: om die akademiese lewe suksesvol te kan navigeer; •erkenning: om erken en gewaardeer te kan word vir 'n mens se akademiese werk; •outonomie: om professionele outonomie te kan bereik; •affiliasie: om aan sosiale en professionele netwerke deel te neem; en •aspirasie: om 'n professionele akademiese loopbaan na te kan streef. Die bruikbaarheid van hierdie vyf dimensies is dat hulle 'n manier bied om te verstaan watter soort beroepe akademiese vroue vroeër in hul loopbaan wil hê, en dus maniere voorstel waarop instellings institusionele hindernisse kan verminder en geleenthede vir loopbaanontwikkeling en -welstand kan verbeter. ___________________________________________________________________
𝑺𝒆𝑺𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒐 Diphuputso tsena di susumetswa ke thahasello ya mofuputsi maanong a hokahaneng a botsebi ba barutehi ba Afrika Borwa. Basebetsi ba barutehi Afrika Borwa diyunivesithing boholo ke batho ba basweu mme banna ke bona ba maemong a hodimo. Mehato ya ho tlisa diphetoho e tsamaya butle, hape ha se batho ba dilemong tse tlase ba kgethang ho ba barutehi kapa ho tiisetsa ka hara mosebetsi wa borupedi. Basadi ba batho ba batsho haholoholo, ha ba na boemedi maemong a ditsebihadi. Diphephetso tsa diphetoho Afrika Borwa thutong e phahameng kamora nako ya kgethollo ya mmala di hokahantswe le twanelo ya kabo ya toka ho bohle ka tekano, boemedi le bosebeletsi bo fetileng, le tshusumetso ya lefatshe e hlokang hore ho be le boikarabelo ho bohlahisi diyunivesithing tse hohelang. Ho sa natswe maano a tswelopele diyunivesithing tsa Afrika Borwa, di amana le maano a kgethollo ya botona le botshehadi le moetlo tse bakang tshitiso ho basebetsi ba barutehi ho tswela pele ho intlafaletsa bokamoso. Leha ho le jwalo, maano a na le dikgaello, hape ho a utlwisisa ka botlalo, ho hlokeha ho utlwisisa tekatekano ya botona le botshehadi. Diphuputso ka basebetsi ba barupedi ha di yo diphuputsong mona Afrika Borwa; haholoholo ho tseo barutehi ba kopanang le tsona mabapi le tswelopele ya bona thutong e le basadi nakong eo ba sa leng maemong a tlase thutong. Boithuto bona bo sibolotse bophelo ba basebetsi ba sehlotshwana sa basebetsi ba tlase thutong ka hara le leng la mafapha setsing se seng sa thuto e phahameng; ka mokgwa wa diphuputso tsa ho mamela meqoqo, mme ba tataiswa ke dipotso tse latelang: •botona kapa botshehadi di susumetsa barutehi jwang, kgetho ya tswelopele boitlafatsong ba basebetsi ba sa le tlase thutong ya basadi? •Basadi bao e leng hona ba ntseng ba hola thutong ba utlwisisa jwang tseo ba fetileng ho tsona le ditsi tse kenang pakeng tsa botona le botshehadi le hore tsee di thusa kapa ho sitisa ho intlafatsa ho ya pele jwang? •Na see se utulla hore nakong yee hobaneng ha tekatekano ya botona le botshehadi di kgomaretse diyunivesithi? Boithuto bona bo sebedisitse mawa a kopaneng a thusang ho hlahloba ditaba tsa basadi le lewa la bokgoni e le mawa a tla sebediswa ho qhaqholla le ho toloka ditaba. Ditsi di toloka botona le botshehadi ka ditsela tse fapaneng mme sena se susumetsa ditaba tsa bophelo ba basebetsi ba basadi. Botona le botshehadi di hlahile di theilwe ka hara ditsi le mokgwa o di sebetsang ka oona. Sebopeho sa mosebetsi, ditebello, le boleng ba mosebetsi di ya ka botona le botshehadi. Kopakopano ya botona le botshehadi (tse bonahalang le tse sa bonahaleng), le tsa bomong bo shebang botona kapa botshehadi ba ho theha setswalle, di susumetsa hore na basebetsi ba basadi ba sebetsa mosebetsi wa borutehi jwang. Tsena tsohle di ama hore na basadi ba itseng ba hola boithutong ba bopa boitshepo le boitsebo ba bona jwang le hore na ba latela metjha ya tswelopele ya bokamoso ba thuto ya bona. Ha bointlafatso bo le dikarolokarolo, maemo a ho hlokomeleha ekare a motjha o mong. Tseo ba fetileng ho tsona ekare di a fapana. Ba bang ba barutehi ekare ba kgona ho ya pele ditsing mme ba atleha ho tsitsa ha ba bang ba thulana le diphephetso tsa ho tsitsa. Lewa la botsebi le fana ka tokelo ya setjhaba e tlwaelehileng e bopilweng ka ditaba tse dumellang ho senolwa ha tseo motho ka mong a fetileng ho tsona. E bontshitse ditshiya tsa bohlokwa tsa bophelo ba basebetsi, ya senola diphephetso ekasitana le tse thusang, mme ha fihlelwa sehlotshwana sa lehae le dikarolokarolo tsa bohlokwa. Ho tswa ditabeng tse phetilweng ke sehlotshwana sa ditsebi, ditsebo tsa tse fapaneng di ile tsa hlahella ho ipapisitswe le tsa bohlokwa hape le tse sebetsang ka ho kgothaletsa ba bileng le seabo ba robong ho kenella: ho aha bophelo ba barutehi bo atlehileng ho ka elellwa , ho ba boemong a ho elellwa, le ho nkelwa hloohong ha mosebetsi wa motho, boikemelo: ho ba boemong ba ho fihlela boikemelo ba botsebi, Kamano: ho kenya letsoho dinthong tsa setjhaba le ho hokahana le ditsebi tse ding le tshepo: ya ho ba boemong ba ho fana ka tshepo ho barutehi ba bang ho tswela pele. Bohlokwahadi ba mafapha ana ke ho tlisa mokgwa wa kutlwisiso mefuteng e fapaneng ya tswelopele bokamosong ba thuto ho basadi ba ntseng ba le tlase thutong, kahoo boithuto bona bo hlahisa mekgwa eo ditsi di ka fokotsang mathata mme tsa phahamisa menyetla ya ho hodisa bointlafatso thutong ho bophelo le boiketlo bo botle. ___________________________________________________________________
𝑰𝒔𝒊𝒁𝒖𝒍𝒖 Lolu cwaningo lwakhiwe intshisekelo yami eqoqweni lezinqubomgomo mayelana nomkhakha womsebenzi wezemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrikha. Abasebenzi bezemfundo emanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrikha kusalokhu kungabamhlophe kakhulu kanye nabesilisa ezikhundleni eziphezulu, ijubane lokushintshwa kwezibalo zabantu lihamba kancane, futhi abanele abantu abasha abakhetha imikhakha yezemfundo futhi bagcinwe emisebenzini yezemfundo. Abesifazane, ikakhulukazi abesifazane abamnyama bancane emkhakheni. Izidingo zoguquko emfundweni ephakeme yaseNingizimu Afrikha esikhathini sangemuva kobandlululo zixhunyaniswe nezimfuno zobulungiswa bezenhlalakahle zohlelo olulinganayo, olumele futhi oluguquliwe, kanye nezingcindezi zomhlaba wonke zamanyuvesi anokuziphendulela, akhiqizayo naqhudelanayo. Ngaphandle kwezinhlaka zenqubomgomo eziqhubekayo, amanyuvesi aseNingizimu Afrikha agcina amasiko ezikhungo acheme ngobulili kakhulu futhi acwaswa ngokwebala, okudala imigoqo kubasebenzi bezemfundo ekwakheni imisebenzi yezemfundo. Nokho, inqubomgomo inemikhawulo, futhi ukuhlola okujulile kuyadingeka ukuze kuqondwe ukungalingani ngokobulili. Kunokuntuleka kocwaningo mayelana nempilo yokusebenza kwezifundiswa emkhakheni yemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrikha, ikakhulukazi okuhlangenwe nakho ezifundisweni ezisencane kanye nezifundiswa zabesifazane abasebasha. Lolu cwaningo luhlole izimpilo zokusebenza zeqembu elincane lezifundiswa zabesifazane abasebasha esikhungweni esisodwa ngocwaningo olulandisayo, olusekelwe kule mibuzo yocwaningo elandelayo: •Ngabe ubulili bunamthelela muni ezimpilweni zokusebenza emkhakheni wezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme, ukukhetha izifundo zokuzithuthukisa kanye nezifundiswa ezikhethiwe zabesifazane abasebasha? •Ngabe izifundiswa zabesifazane abasebasha zikuqonda kanjani, zibhekana kanjani futhi zingenelela kanjani ezikhungweni ezicheme nobulili obuthile futhi lokhu kuthinta kanjani ukusebenza kwabo ngendlela efanele? •Lokhu kwembulani ngokuthi kungani ukungalingani ngokobulili kuqhubeka emanyuvesi? Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise inhlanganisela yethiyori yabesifazane mayelana nezinhlangano kanye nendlela yokukwazi njengohlaka lokuhlaziya. Izikhungo zenziwa ukuba zicheme nobulili obuthile ngezindlela ezihlukene futhi lokhu kuba nomthelela omkhulu ezimpilweni zezemfundo nasemigudwini yemisebenzi. Izikhungo ezicheme nobulili obuthile zizilimaza zonke izinsuku izifundiswa zabesifazane. Ubulili buyathinteka endleleni izikhungo ezakhiwe ngayo kanye nendlela ezisebenza ngayo. Izakhiwo zemisebenzi, okulindelekile kanye nenani lomsebenzi lihlukaniswa ngokobulili. Ukusebenzisana kwansuku zonke okucheme ngokobulili (ngendlela esobala noma ecashile) kanye nokuxhumana kwabantu ngabanye ngokobulili, kuthonya indlela abesifazane abaphila ngayo emsebenzini. Zonke lezi zici zithinta indlela izifundiswa zabesifazane abasebasha abakhula babe yiyo nokuthi yiziphi izinhlobo zezifundo abazilandelayo. Ngenkathi izifundo zokufundela umsebenzi zivela zinezinhlangothi eziningi, izinhlelo zokuqashelwa zinohlangothi olulodwa. Izipiliyoni zezifundiswa azifani ezinye izifundiswa ziyakwazi ukusebenza ngempumelelo ezikhungweni futhi ziphile kahle, kuyilapho ezinye ziyazabalaza ukuba zithole nje ukukwazi ukuzimela. Indlela yekhono inikeze uhlaka olujwayelekile lobulungiswa bezenhlalo kokwakhiwa ulwazi, okuvumela ukuhlolwa kwesipiliyoni somuntu ngamunye. Igqamise izici ezibalulekile zempilo yokusebenza, yahlola izingqinamba kanye nezici ezivumelayo, futhi ekugcineni yafika eqoqweni lobukhulu bekhono obunomongo nobunezinhlangothi eziningi. Kusukela ekulandiseni nasekuzibandakanyeni namanye amasethi amakhono, izilinganiso zamakhono ezinhlanu zavela, ngokusekelwe ekusebenzeni okubalulekile nokulangazelelayo kwababambiqhaza abayisishiyagalolunye: •ukuzulazula: ukukwazi ukuzulazula empilweni yezemfundo ephakeme ngempumelelo; •ukuhlonishwa: ukukwazi ukuhlonishwa kanye nokwaziswa ngomsebenzi womuntu wezemfundo; •ukuzimela: ukukwazi ukuzuza ukuzimela; •ukuzihlanganisa: ukukwazi ukubamba iqhaza ezinkundleni zokuxhumana nezomsebenzi; kanye •nesifiso: ukukwazi ukulangazelela umsebenzi wezemfundo okhokhelwayo. Usizo lwalezi zindlela ezinhlanu ukuthi zinikeza indlela yokuqonda ukuthi hlobo luni lwemisebenzi efunwa yizifundiswa zabesifazane abasebasha, ngakho-ke baphakamisa izindlela izikhungo ezinganciphisa ngazo izithiyo zezikhungo futhi zithuthukise amathuba okuthuthukiswa kwemisebenzi kanye nokuphila kahle. ___________________________________________________________________
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.(Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2019
Keywords
Higher education, Gender, Institutional culture, Capability approach, Early career academics, South Africa
Citation