Challenging the Gendered Academic Hierarchy

Abstract

In my 2017 Sherif Award address, I pay tribute to Carolyn Wood Sherif for her insightful exposure of an academic hierarchy in psychology and her call to be skeptical not only of our research choices but also of our career choices. I contend that the artificial separation of research/scholarship and teaching/mentoring, along with the masculinization and privileging of the former over the latter, contributes to perpetuating this gendered academic hierarchy. I suggest three possibilities for integrating teaching and research, embedded within one's commitment to feminist activism, by (a) publishing about one's own teaching, (b) researching one's teaching effectiveness, and (c) using one's classes to do research that contributes to feminist scholarship (as well as, in a fourth example, challenging the academic hierarchy itself). My immodest goal is to inspire junior and senior academic feminists to practice a "subversive" feminism that challenges the gendered, hierarchical academic institutions in which we are immersed as feminists "doing" (i.e., socially constructing) both teaching and research.

Bridging Feminist Psychology and Open Science: Feminist Tools and Shared Values Inform Best Practices for Science Reform

“…If scientific career trajectories favor individualistic, masculinized styles of performance (Bagilhole & Goode, 2001;Yoder, 2018), is it possible for researchers to collaborate when pursuing "independent" feminist research? We propose that feminist researchers should collaborate in unconventional ways to disrupt academia's ego-centric, individualistic, and patriarchal nature.…”

“…Feminist scholars similarly call for structural changes to publication and incentive systems; however, feminist critiques of the publish or perish culture center on inequities within the academy (e.g., Bagilhole & Goode, 2001;Jones, 1992;Yoder, 2018). For example, the academic emphasis on publication constrains feminist attention to within the academy, limiting activism and political work directed toward empowerment and social change outside of the academy (e.g., Romero, 2000;Yoder, 2018). Notably, some research societies (e.g., Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science, Association for Women in Psychology, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues) now offer awards to recognize contributions to psychological science beyond traditional outputs (e.g., research records, publications).…”

“…The individualistic imperative to publish poses a challenge to feminist practice within academia, as conforming to the publication pressure for academic success contributes to the maintenance of intellectual hegemony and the academic hierarchy (see Fox, 1985), thus contrasting with feminist goals of challenging patriarchal social institutions and systems of dominance (e.g., Fonow & Cook, 2005;Wilkinson, 1988). Feminist scholars have also noted how the publication obligation, in tandem with the marginalization of other activities in the academy (i.e., teaching, mentorship, activism, community outreach), ensures women's low status in the academic hierarchy as women are more likely to engage in communal activities of academic life (Lund, 2012;Yoder, 2018).…”

Reflections About What I Learned as an Editor Making Judgments about Gender and Gendered Contexts with a Feminist Perspective

“…I am not suggesting that any of these outcomes should drive our research agenda, but I do want to argue that as socially responsible, feminist scholars, we have an obligation to ask "So what?" of our research, our teaching, and the dissemination of what we do (Yoder, 2018). In fact, I believe that by adopting this imperative, we will necessarily have to be better researchers simply because we have more riding on our work than another notch in our publication belt.…”

Bruk av nettverk i kvinners karriereutvikling mot professor og dosentstillinger i akademia

“…Løsninger på slike utfordringer, forstått i en institusjonell sammenheng, ligger ikke lenger i tradisjonen, fagkulturene og struk turene (Møthe et al, 2014). Derimot kan de faglige miljøene bidra til en forandring gjennom å bli mer åpne for kvinners tilnaerming til forskning samt endre normer og kriterier for hva som er meritterende (Yoder, 2018). Å øke kompetansen om disse kjønnsforskjellene er et poeng i seg selv -både for medarbeidere og ikke minst for ledere.…”