Queering Academia: Queer Faculty Mothers and Work-Family Enrichment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
QUEERING ACADEMIA: QUEER FACULTY MOTHERS AND WORK-FAMILY ENRICHMENT Katherine Newman Stygles A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2016 Committee: Ellen M. Broido, Advisor Sarah Smith Rainey Graduate Faculty Representative Nicholas A. Bowman Christina J. Lunceford © 2016 Katherine Newman Stygles All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Ellen M. Broido, Advisor The purpose of this multiple case narrative study was to understand the experiences of queer (i.e., lesbian, queer, gay) faculty mothers who simultaneously navigated motherhood and academia. Work-family enrichment and queering (queer as a verb, informed by queer theory) were the frameworks for this study. I conducted individual in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven tenured queer mothers who were also faculty members from doctoral universities. I then constructed participants' narratives by analyzing the data to reveal narrative themes and restorying participants' transcripts focusing on the three-dimensional inquiry space: interaction, continuity, and situation as well as the interrelated tensions: temporality, people, action, certainty, and context. I analyzed narratives specifically considering work-family enrichment aspects of roles, resources, and transfers of those resources as well as for additional emergent codes and themes. From the data, several themes emerged that described the experiences of queer faculty mothers. First, I present findings related to work climate, including as it related to sexual orientation, parenting roles, and tenure and promotion. Next, participants’ support systems included colleagues, partners, and students. Third, participants’ well-being benefitted from four primary ways in which work and family roles enrich one another that contributed to their enhanced well-being: their ability to prioritize, attempts to balance roles, enjoyment, and commitment to social justice. Finally, participants experienced work-family enrichment. Of the five categories of resources, each was generated and transferred by at least four participants (flexibility – seven participants, skills and perspectives – six participants, social capital – five iv participants, material resources – four participants, and psychological and physical resources – four participants). I conclude with several implications for practice and research. Department chairs, administrators, and colleagues should employ an individualized approach, support early-career queer faculty mothers, encourage work-family balance and enrichment of queer faculty mothers, and address institutional biases. Implications for future research are to include people not represented, delve deeper into paths for work-family enrichment resource transferal, focus on issues queer faculty mothers needed support regarding and what forms of support were most beneficial, more accurately examine success, and look into the pervasiveness of internalized oppression among queer faculty mothers. v “Some might tell you there’s no hope in hand just because they feel hopeless, but you don’t have to be a thing like that. You be a ship in a bottle set sail” (Matthews, 2003, track 11). I dedicate this dissertation to my own ships in a bottle set sail, my family, my incredible wife and co-parent, Kate, my loving parents, Kathy and Ed, my friend and father of our children, Steve, and my dear children, Robert, Lyndon, Molly, and Emmett. You are my world. Thank you all for your love, support, and sacrifice. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Ellen M. Broido, my chair and advisor. You have taught me so much about research, scholarship, teaching, and supervision. You have supported me through some of my best and worst days. I am so grateful for your insights, encouragement, patience, compassion, and perspective. I would also like to offer my sincere gratitude to my committee members, Dr. Nicholas A. Bowman, Dr. Christina J. Lunceford, and Dr. Sarah Smith Rainey. Together with Dr. Broido, you guided me through this process, you challenged me to make more meaningful connections in my work, and you supported me in your belief that I could accomplish this. You are brilliant scholars and incredible human beings. I could never truly thank you enough. Next, to my participants, Elizabeth, Josie, Joy, Kate, Liz, ProfMean, and Sophie, your stories are the heart of this work. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. I truly believe that there is much to be learned from what you have shared. To the faculty who helped me along this journey, thank you. Dr. Maureen E. Wilson, Dr. Dafina-Lazarus Stewart, Dr. Michael D. Coomes, Dr. Nicholas A. Bowman, Dr. Kenneth W. Borland, Dr. Ellen M. Broido, Dr. Christina J. Lunceford, Dr. Edward G. Whipple, and Dr. Patrick D. Pauken, I am humbled to have had the opportunity to learn from you, in and out of the classroom. To my colleagues along the way, especially the other members of my cohort (TriT!) and the amazing support network I have found among this great HESA-nation, there are not enough words to express my gratitude and love for you. Dr. Jo Campbell, Dr. Beth Hoag, Abi Kennedy, and Dr. LaDonna Moore, what a journey! Thank you for your friendship, patience, challenge, and support. To my best friends, Dr. Kirsten Brown and Liane Ortis, your guidance, encouragement, love, and advice throughout this adventure has been invaluable. To Dr. Matthew vii A. Cooney, when are we making those t-shirts? I love you friend. Thank you for doing this with me. Krystal Allen and Kerry Klima, thank you for your constant encouragement and support. To all of the other HIED folks along this journey, thank you. Please know that each of you has a place in my heart. To Dr. V. Jane Rosser and Dr. Nancy A. Orel, you have been wonderful mentors. I appreciate your encouragement to pursue my Ph.D. and your belief in me along the way. To the students I have had the pleasure of working with – the Civic Action Leaders, CSPeeps (College Student Personnel students), my swimmys (Dance Marathon family), and all the other Falcons in my life – you have often times been a source of joy and inspiration. Thank you for your energy, dedication, and enthusiasm. Finally, to my family (blood and chosen), I appreciate you more than you could possibly know. Mom and Dad, you have always believed in me, most especially when I did not believe in myself. Thank you for teaching me the value of education. Thank you for your unwavering faith in me and for all of the support you have provided so that this vision could become a reality. Steve, you are one of my closest friends. Thank you for being such a wonderful father to our children, and for always pushing me to follow my dreams. Ted and David, you taught me how to defend my arguments from such a young age (it is a good thing I have improved in that realm). Thank you for being the best big brothers. For all of the people who have helped to care for the kiddos (especially Auntie Su, Auntie Solveig, my parents, and Ruth and Roger) while I was in class, at work, writing papers, or doing research, thank you – I quite literally could not have done this without you. To my dear children, Robert, Lyndon, Molly, and Emmett, thank you for the incredible honor of being your mother. Thank you for understanding all of the times that I had to work on viii my computer instead of playing with you. Thank you for the snuggles, hugs, kisses, and love in the times that I needed them most. I have no doubt that you will accomplish great things. Last, but certainly not least, to my beloved wife, Kate, thank you for your love. You have tirelessly supported me through this process, even when I made it more difficult than it needed to be. Somehow, you always seemed to know what I needed most (often the opposite of what I thought I needed). I literally could not have done this without you. I love you. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Background ........................................................................................................... 3 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................... 6 Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................. 7 Research Questions ............................................................................................... 7 Definitions and Key Terms .................................................................................... 7 Scope of the Study ................................................................................................. 8 Significance of the Study ....................................................................................... 9 Summary ............................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................ 11 Theoretical Framework: Work-Family Enrichment ................................................ 12 Resources ................................................................................................... 12 Paths for Work-Family Enrichment ............................................................ 13 Theoretical Context ...................................................................................