A Dissertation Entitled Mothering Academics
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A Dissertation entitled Mothering Academics: Women’s Perception of the Intersectionality of Academic Leading and Rearing Underage Children in a Midwestern Urban Community College by Crystal R. Clark Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education _________________________________________ Dave Meabon, PhD, Committee Chair _________________________________________ Ron Opp, PhD, Committee Member _________________________________________ Penny Poplin Gosetti, PhD, Committee Member _________________________________________ Colleen Quinlan, PhD, Committee Member _________________________________________ Dr. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, Dean College of Graduate Studies The University of Toledo December 2017 Copyright 2017, Crystal R. Clark This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no parts of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author. An Abstract of Mothering Academics: Women’s Perception of the Intersectionality of Academic Leading and Rearing Underage Children in a Midwestern Urban Community College by Crystal R. Clark Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education The University of Toledo December 2017 In 2011, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) acknowledged the absence of trend data to predict the representation of women in future academic leadership. This gap in the literature coupled with non-representative female leadership numbers and imminent shortages in leadership in the community college sector predicated the importance of this study and its contributions to literature and practice. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of women serving in community college leadership while rearing underage children. Through 13 semi-structured, one-on-one interviews, the study procured an understanding of the participants’ perceptions of the influence of their mothering role on their leadership role, providing insight about (a) the non-representative numbers of females in community college leadership, (b) the leadership crisis predicted to soon impact community colleges, and (c) the factors contributing to both. The study found that women living the phenomenon (a) similarly applied practices across their role of mothering and leading, (b) experienced changes in their perceptions of self because of the intersectionality of mothering and leading, (c) endured limited access to professional iii development, and (d) found professional advancement not readily accessible. Further, the study provided a means of interpreting the findings based on the nascent Kaleidoscope Theory of Mothering Academics (KTMA), which emerged from the consideration of the intersectionality of participants’ identities through the intersectionality of applicable theories—matricentric feminist theory, social role theory, and feminist critical policy analysis. The study’s resulting recommendations included (a) intentional recruitment; (b) coordinated mentoring, coaching, and networking; (c) local professional development; (d) succession planning and “grow your own” training; (e) campus-wide cross training and internships; and (f) the creation of policies and practices sensitive to the needs of women leading or with the potential to lead while rearing underage children. iv Table of Contents Abstract iii Table of Contents v List of Tables xi List of Figures xii List of Abbreviations xiii I. Introduction 1 A. Background of the Study 1 B. Statement of the Problem 3 C. Significance of the Problem 4 D. Theoretical Framework 8 a. Matricentric Feminist Theory 9 b. Social Role Theory 10 c. Feminist Critical Policy Analysis 10 d. Theories in Unison 11 E. Research Questions 12 F. Methodological Approach 14 a. Data Collection 14 b. Data Analysis 15 G. Definitions, Assumptions Limitations, and Delimitations 16 a. Definitions 16 b. Assumptions 17 c. Limitations 17 v d. Delimitations 17 H. Summary 18 II. Literature Review 20 A. Introduction 20 B. Section I: Praxis 25 a. Outside the Academy 25 1. Good Mother vs. Ideal Worker 30 2. Work and Family Balance 34 3. Pay and Promotion Disparity 39 i. Mommy Tracking 40 ii. Family-Friendly Policies 41 iii. Competence and Commitment 44 b. Inside the Academy 47 1. Women Faculty 52 2. Community College Level 55 C. Section II: Theory 58 a. Matricentric Feminism 59 1. Womanism 59 2. Mother-ism 62 3. Critical Void: Motherwork, Re/Productive Labor, and Maternal Work 66 4. Mother Theory 68 b. Social Role Theory 69 vi c. Feminist Critical Policy Analysis 71 C. Summary 74 III. Methodology 76 A. Introduction 77 B. Qualitative Inquiry 77 a. Five Qualitative/Quantitative Distinctions 78 1. Positivism and Postpositivism 78 2. Postmodern Sensibilities 79 3. Point of View 79 4. Constraints of Everyday Living 79 5. Rich Descriptions 80 b. Qualitative Research 80 C. Phenomenological Methodology 81 a. Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) 82 b. Husserl, Schutz, and van Manen 83 c. Hermeneutics 85 d. Phenomenological Data Analysis 88 D. Participants 93 E. Desired Research and Research Design 96 a. Desired Research 96 b. Research Design 96 F. Instrumentation 98 G. Analysis of Data 100 vii H. Ethical Issues 106 I. Limitations and Delimitations 106 a. Limitations 106 b. Delimitations 107 J. Summary 107 IV. Findings 108 A. Introduction 108 B. Participant Demographics 109 C. Data Collection Process 110 D. Pilot Interviews 111 E. Data Analysis Process 112 F. Theme Development 113 G. Findings for Research Question One 116 a. One Informs the Other 117 1. Language and expression 117 2. Same practices 120 3. Intersecting moments 124 b. Intersectionality of Roles Shaping Identity 127 1. Expressions from within 127 2. External expressions 129 3. Expressions of reconciliation 130 i. Before-and-after with children 131 ii. A pivotal moment with children 132 viii iii. Ever-present children 133 H. Findings for Research Question Two 134 a. Full Access 135 b. Limited Access 135 c. Hope for Future Access 137 d. Self-determined Access 138 I. Findings for Research Question Three 138 a. No Plans 138 b. Inhibited 140 c. Postponed 141 d. In Preparation 143 e. In Progress 143 f. Other Observations 144 J. Summary 145 V. Discussion 147 A. Introduction 147 B. Interpretation 149 a. Career and Leadership 149 b. Mothering and Family 150 c. Identity and the Intersectionality of Identities 152 d. Professional Access 153 C. Theories 156 a. Transference 157 ix b. Reticence 159 c. Absence 161 d. Kaleidoscope Theory of Mothering Academics 162 D. Implications 164 a. Implications for Practice 165 b. Implications for Policy 165 c. Implications for Future Research 167 E. Recommendations 170 a. Visibility and Recognition of Intersecting Identities 170 b. A Culture Conducive to Female Leadership 172 c. Networking, Role Models, and Mentoring Relationships 174 F. Summary 176 References 180 Appendices A. Permission to Reproduce Women in Leadership Figure 198 B. Permission to Reproduce Work/Family Border Crossing Model 200 C. Pre-Interview Information Survey 203 D. Research Consent Form 205 E. Interview and Observation Protocol 208 x List of Tables Table 1.1 The Study’s Participants, Their Positions, and the Number of Children .....7 Table 1.2 Kaleidoscoped Theories and Participant Performances .............................12 Table 2.1 Female Leadership in Higher Education ....................................................24 Table 2.2 Female Leadership and Progress ...............................................................27 Table 2.3 Labor Force Participation Rates 2013........................................................29 Table 2.4 Institutional Family Friendly Polices .........................................................58 Table 2.5 Re-Framing Gender Policy Questions .......................................................73 Table 3.1 Demographics ............................................................................................95 Table 4.1 Coding Terms and Meanings ...................................................................114 Table 4.2 Coding Categories in NVivo11 ................................................................115 Table 4.3 Research Questions, Emergent Themes, and Key Terms ........................116 Table 4.4 Reconciliation of Mothering and Leading Identities ...............................134 Table 4.5 Access to Professional Development .......................................................139 Table 4.6 Access to Professional Advancement ......................................................145 xi List of Figures Figure 1-1. A theoretical model of kaleidoscope theories .........................................11 Figure 2-1. Percent of women in leadership by sector .............................................. 26 Figure 2-2. Border crossers’ adaptation in the work and home environments ..........35 Figure 2-3. Border crossers trafficking matricentric pedagogy ................................66 Figure 2-4. Social role theory diagram ......................................................................69 Figure 3-1. Data analysis spiral for processing qualitative research data ................ 105 Figure 5-1. Matricentric transference ...................................................................... 159 Figure 5-2. Kaleidoscope Theory of Mothering Academics (KTMA) capturing the study’s multi-celled illumination ................................................