Book Review: The changing role of women in higher education

So, it seems highly likely that women and other “others” will continue to be positioned as interlopers in the academy for the foreseeable future. But as another dictionary definition of “interloper” is “To interfere; meddle” (Collins, 1985), I suggest that a bit more feminist interfering and meddling is precisely what is called for to destabilise and disrupt the prestige economy of the academy. (p. 240)

Eggins, in this compilation of essays, describes from an international comparative perspective (the UK, the United States, China, South Africa, Ghana, the Netherlands, Greece, Brazil, Malaysia, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany) the realities of women in higher education. These diverse analyses result in conclusions based upon robust and rich qualitative and quantitative data. While relatively dated, the significance of the findings relates to the similar patterns and themes that characterize, to varying degrees, the challenges faced by academic women worldwide.

While all of the authors agree that women are making progress in terms of access to and participation in higher education, the glass ceilings and walls continue to limit women’s advancement because of their gender. To those who have been or are currently part of a higher education institution, this is not news!

The gendered world itself is the problem. Universities reflect the sociocultural, economic, and political contexts in which they are located. Complexities abound as the authors ponder the meanings of gender equality in higher education. The academic labor market does not reflect the increased opportunities for girls and women to participate in learning, as women are still marginalized in certain disciplines as well as leadership roles. Pay equity is elusive even in countries where working conditions and salaries for men and women are set by the government and said to be the same.

Because of the amount of information presented throughout the essays, this book is not a quick read. However, the categories of data collected and the emergent topics provide a clear road map for future study in examining the impacts of gender, as well as the intersections of gender and race, in higher education. Those teaching in doctoral programs or working with students considering an academic career would find this book to be a useful resource.

One issue of particular interest for academic women at any stage of their career is the insignificance of the clock/time. Due to multiple responsibilities, women often find themselves working at any hour to juggle family/home, teaching, institutional, and research responsibilities. Even when responsibilities are shared with a partner or spouse, women tend to have more fluid time schedules to meet the demands placed upon them. Fatigue and stress often result.

Teaching is constantly in tension with research, and research dominates! With economic challenges looming large for many, if not most academic institutions, the pressures to secure grant funding are great.

The move, in the UK and elsewhere, towards funding larger grants as part of specific programmes, with fewer small grants available, privileges well established renowned (and usually senior) academics in research-intensive universities leading large, and often international, teams of researchers (i.e. those who are more likely to be men) and works to further exclude or marginalise newer researchers and/or those prioritising qualitative, feminist work etc. (p. 231)

In general, women tend to take on higher teaching loads that prevent them from engaging in research activities with the same intensity as men. The gendered binary between men as researchers and women as teachers needs to be challenged, as well as the assumption that teaching is less valuable than research and publishing.

A final topic of note is the role of the chair or department head in providing opportunities for mentoring and networking. No one questions the importance of both formal and informal networking, but who assumes responsibility to ensure that appropriate mentoring is provided? And to what extent are men given greater opportunities for career advancement through mentoring and networking?

As the authors emphasize, women are making progress in higher education, but much remains to be done. Vigilance and advocacy will be required to traverse the elusive and uncertain paths toward true equality. These thought-provoking essays serve as guides along the way.