Balancing Family and Career on the Academic Tightrope

Abstract

This qualitative research project explored the experiences of women who juggle the demands of family or parenthood while engaging in academic careers at a faculty of education. The researcher-participants consisted of 11 women; 9 women provided a written narrative, and all women participated in the data analysis. The data consisted of the personal, reflective narratives of 9 women who participated in a faculty writing group. Analysis of narratives uncovered 5 themes common to the researchers and participants in this study: genderspecific experiences surrounding parenting, second-career academics, pressure surrounding academic work, human costs, and commitment to work and family. Implications of the findings are discussed with particular emphasis on how a faculty writing group framed by a relational model of interaction can be used to support untenured faculty who experience difficulty balancing the demands of family and academia.

Faculty writing groups: The impact of protected writing time and group support

“…A qualitative study of 11 women faculty found that writing groups served as a form of social support for women who have to balance work and family. The writing group, which consisted of all women, had shared gender-specific experiences around things such as parenting, academic work, and family vs. work commitments ( Penney et al, 2015 ). Faculty who participated in writing groups also saw themselves as more confident and competent writers ( Packer, 2013 ).…”

“…During the spring semester, faculty met weekly for 3 hours to write, focused and uninterrupted, as well as provide moral support, exchange writing struggles and tips, and engage in discussions about their research. Using similar structures from previous successful writing groups ( Grant, 2006 ; Penney et al, 2015 ), the first portion of the group sessions is dedicated to updating the group on each person’s writing progress and plans for the week, followed by focused writing time, and ending with a quick debrief about what was accomplished during the focused writing time. It was during these open discussion sections that faculty were able to engaged in additional conversations, share resources, and provide support.…”

Academic Writing Groups in Higher Education: History and State of Play

“…In general, there are three different combinations of participants who can be either experienced scholars or novice scholars. The first group is typically composed of faculty staff with a varying degree of seniority in academic environments (Penney et al, 2015). A second group may be exclusive to graduate students, coming from masters and doctoral programs, or only one of these two graduate levels of education (Larcombe, McCosker, & O"Loughlin, 2007;Pololi, Knight, & Dunn, 2004).…”

Barriers to Arab female academics’ career development

“…Nguyen (2013) claims that family obligations are connected to female academics’ unwillingness to take management positions. Thus, care-giving interferes with productivity, promotion and tenure (Penney, 2015). Further, academic women experience high levels of stress (Bonawitz and Andel, 2009; Hirshfield and Joseph, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, working women face a shortage of support services such as kindergartens, vocational training, employment-related information and access to development loans (McElwee and Al-Riyami, 2003). Moreover, institutional policies do not consider care-giving needs for female academics (Penney, 2015).…”