Empowering Second+ Career Female Academics: Strengthening Relationships through Mentoring for Personal and Professional Growth

Mentoring of early career researchers (ECRs) in universities usually involves older, more experienced researchers providing guidance to younger researchers starting out in their careers. However, for women who enter academia as a second or more career (second +), this type of mentoring may not recognise the experiences these women bring with them or the unique barriers that they encounter. This study is an autoethnographic case study through a relational cultural theory lens of five women who entered academia later in their careers but were classified as ECRs. In order to address the unique challenges confronting them they formed a peer mentoring group. Analysis of group discussions and individual reflections resulted in the identification of common themes of disempowerment, lack of belonging and lack of collegiate relations as they confronted the often-invisible barriers presented by university processes and culture. Sharing of mutual experiences within the peer mentoring group resulted in greater self-awareness of negative self-talk and beliefs, developed understanding of university systems, empowered participants through relational problem solving and supported agency in planning career progression. The increased sense of belonging and self-efficacy that participants felt suggests that peer mentoring, rather than traditional mentoring schemes, may be of greater benefit for other second+ career female academics. Keywords: mature female academics, mentoring, university relationships, empowerment, early career researcher(s

Understanding Through Stories: Leadership Experiences of Trinidadian Women of Color

This narrative inquiry explored the lived experiences of four Trinidadian women of color who served as principals in schools across the Caribbean Island. The focus of this research was to gain insight into what motivated these women to assume leadership positions in education, and how their experiences shaped their leadership practices. Research findings revealed three key themes that influenced the participants’ leadership practice in Trinidad’s educational context. These themes include: (a) ethics of care, an approach to leadership rooted in care and empathy, (b) collaborative leadership, an approach that helped the participants to address unique challenges faced by women-leaders, and (c) gender, class, and racial biases confronted by the participants during their careers. Exploring the narratives of the Trinidadian female leaders provides a nuanced understanding of how women-leaders navigate a complex landscape, offering lessons on resilience and leadership in a unique cultural and historical context.   Keywords: women of color; female principals; Trinidad and Tobago; Caribbean; educational leadership; West Indies; ethics of care

Let the Silenced Speak: Digital Platform Usage by Feminist and Gender Equity Nongovernmental Organizations in Ghana

The freedom and acceptance of feminists’ activities in Ghana hit several rocks after the first African Feminist Congress in Ghana in 2004. In Ghana, research on gender advocacy and feminist organizations has increased, but little emphasis has been paid to the contribution of self-identified feminists to women’s empowerment. I explored how self-identified feminists and gender equity-focused NGOs in Ghana leverage social media to educate and advocate for women’s and children’s welfare. I also examined how these feminists and NGOs engage women in rural areas in seminars, discussion sessions, and training workshops to create spaces for women to voice their concerns and gain empowerment. Given this, 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with self-identified Ghanaian feminists and NGO leaders. I employed muted group theory and African feminist theory to guide the data analysis. I argued that Ghanaian self-identified feminists and NGOs have put in a lot of work to empower Ghanaian women to enable them to express themselves and share their experiences. The findings contribute to the discussion on Ghanaian feminism and how they enact empowerment and advance how the growing acceptance of feminism in Ghana allows Ghanaian women to speak for themselves and have their voices heard in national and global digital spaces. Keywords: Freedom, Feminism, Digital platforms, Muted Groups, NGOs

Mentoring in Salary Negotiation for Female Sport Management Students

Female professors continue to make less than their male counterparts. In traditionally male dominated fields, such as sport management, the pay gap can be even greater. To gain further insight into the salary negotiation process, the specific role of mentoring was examined utilizing qualitative research, and specifically semi-structured interviews conducted with female sport management professors. Open-ended coding was employed to analyze the data. Female participants reported they had limited mentoring for the salary negotiation process and felt there were barriers that influenced if mentoring took place. Participants did indicate informal mentoring occurred, and some reported the development of meaningful relationships specifically with major advisors who intentionally provided advice and mentoring related to the salary negotiation process. Being cognizant of gender roles and utilizing mentoring strategies is critical to addressing salary and the continued gap in salary amongst female and male professors in sport management

The Effects of Burnout in Female Higher Education Administrators

This research explored the phenomenon of femaleness and how it impacts the experiences of women in higher education administration, specifically in colleges of agriculture, and how these experiences contributed to burnout, compassion fatigue, and job satisfaction. Despite representing more than half of the college-educated workforce, women are not represented equally within leadership positions in higher education. In academia, women faculty numbers have improved over the past several decades, representing 52.9% of assistant professor positions (Women in Academia: Quick Take, 2020). Higher education was initially intended only for men (Bystydzienski & Bird, 2006) and therefore valued men in higher-level positions (Bird, 2011; Trower, 2012). This has led to the creation of a culture where women and minorities are underrepresented and face multiple barriers (Bird, 2011). Having an inequitable distribution of power not only in organizations but within society suggests that women will need to traverse a different, more challenging path than their male counterparts to arrive at the same tier of status.   Keywords: burnout, compassion fatigue, higher education, women administrators, women leaders in agriculture, stress, gender roles, coping with stres

Black Women College Administrators Perspectives on Informal Mentoring: A Phenomenological Case Study

Abstract Within this qualitative phenomenological case study, I explored the perspectives of informal mentoring as a coping strategy to navigate workplace and career stagnation for Black women college administrators in the United States. Findings from their experiences indicate that while formal mentoring and sponsorship existed for their counterparts, it was not accessible for them. The participants described informal mentoring was needed and helpful for their workplace challenges and for the cultivation of their leadership growth strategies, particularly as employees at predominately white institutions. Seven themes emerged: (a) Defining Supportive Relationships; (b) Relevancy of Race and Gender in Mentoring; (c) Cultivating Kinships and Networks; (d) Identifying Salient Challenges; (e) Navigating Campus Culture; (f) Penetrating Boundaries to Leadership; and (7) Leveraging for Leadership. Keywords: mentoring; Black women college administrators, counterspaces; Black feminist theor

Rethinking Leadership: Leadership as Friendship

"…our brother who has been educated at schools and universities.  Do we wish to join that procession, or don't we?  On what terms shall we join that procession?  Above all, where is it leading us, the procession of educated men?"    --Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas, 1938 Virginia Woolf (1938) in Three Guineas asked where the procession of educated men was leading us.  She raised fundamental concerns about the procession of men who had been educated in colleges and universities.  Answering her own question, she pointed out that the procession was leading to war.  The political and social system, she believed, generated competitiveness, tyranny, possessiveness, and violence (Carroll 1978).  In Three Guineas, when a man from a peace society asks for help in preventing war, her response is:  "We can best help you to prevent war by not repeating your words and following your methods but by finding new words and creating new methods" (p. 143).  If Woolf were writing today, she would raise similar questions about leadership and would be critical not only of where leadership has taken us but also how people in general tend to view leadership.  The early popularity of the so-called Afghanistan "war" and Iraq "war" would confirm for Woolf her earlier views.  She would, however, be pleased to note the number of people and groups that have been leading from a different model for leadership.  Their leadership could be characterized as leadership as friendship. This paper proposes a rethinking of leadership that challenges the dominance of the military battle metaphor and proposes an alternative metaphor--friendship.  The paper first discusses the nature of metaphors and critiques the military battle approach to leadership.  It then focuses on friendship as a metaphor for a relational conception and practice of leadership.  The paper concludes with examples of people who lead within such a framework

Parent Advocacy in a Gendered Organization: Participatory Research, Action, and Analysis

Hegemonic gender relationships pervade the organization of schooling in America (Marshall, 1992, 2000; Yeakey, Johnston, & Adkinson, 1986; Young, 2000; Young & Laible, 2000). Men generally occupy privileged roles as administrators. Women ordinarily serve in subordinate positions as teachers and parents (read: mothers). The exercise of authority in schools, then, has come to be associated with the male voice: hierarchical, rule-oriented, dispassionate, and even harsh (Jones, 1988; Shakeshaft, 1989, 1998). Hegemony silences women’s voices so that their calls for compassion and connectivity become “non-authoritarian, marginal pleadings for mercy—gestures of the subordinate” (Jones, 1988, p. 121). Hegemony of gender served as the fundamental premise of this study of four women as they struggled to achieve social justice for their children with disabilities. The mothers created a grassroots organization called Face-to-Face and, for two years, battled the male-dominated school administration and Board of Education. The study examines the gendered organization of schooling in one, small, rural school district in the American Midwest, and serves as a lens for viewing the hegemony of gender in American society

Preparing Sport Leaders of the Future To Lead Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Sport Organizations: The Insights and Strategies of Professors

Researchers have documented the tangible and significant benefits to organizations having more diverse senior leadership teams. However, not all industries have embraced his practice. While gains have been made for women securing senior positions in professional sport, the rate of change has been slow, despite the fact that men and women equally aspire to these roles, and women outnumber men in many sport management educational programs. Systemic and structural barriers exist for women seeking senior leadership levels in the industry, a fact that only the women students seem to appreciate (Gray & Weese, 2021). This descriptive study extends this research by engaging sport management professors to determine if they understand the issue and, if so, what they were doing to ensure that their students understand the benefits of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The professors clearly appreciated the issue and recognized the gender differences that exist between their men and women students. They also shared activities and strategies they use to help ensure that the next generation of sport leaders value and advocate for EDI leadership practices. The professors agreed that they needed to continue to heighten the awareness and sensitivities of their students on the topics of EDI, and they all believed that they could do more to incorporate EDI perspectives in their classes and mentorship sessions. Ten recommendations are provided to assist current and future sport management professors address this critical issue

Gender Equity Models in Science Teaching and Learning Mirrored Structures, and Designs for Chang

In this paper I develop a 'mirrored structures' model that applies to three NSF-funded gender and science projects aimed at improving girls understanding, attitudes, and abilities in science, mathematics, and technology. All are concerned with the under-representation of women in science, math, and technology. All three facilitate girls' success at critical educational junctures particularly the middle/ junior high transition where girls are lost to science. The three projects have developed rich and varied programs aimed at increasing understanding, confidence, and ability in the science, math, and technology for girls, and for their teachers, their parents, and administrators. The projects are different but share some common underlying elements and in many ways are typical of the multi-tiered gender equity programs across the country. Together the three programs offer powerful evidence for understanding systemic change within diverse geographies. All three programs share similar philosophies3 there are many different ways to achieve equity goals but it is essential that participants at all levels capitalize on existing strengths, their particular "ways of knowing". I argue that the 'mirrored structures' model cuts across all levels of participation within all three projects. The projects, are: FIRST (Female Involvement in Real Science and Technology) in Oakland, California; The Voices project: Rural and Urban Images: Voices of Girls in Science Mathematics and Technology in rural Appalachia, West Virginia; and Girls Inc. of Lynn, Massachusetts's Operation SMART (Science Math and Relevant Technology). While the model offered in this paper was based originally on the FIRST project, it is applied to the Voices and Operation SMART programs. Together they provide exemplars for examining systemic change because the programs emphasize not only the changes within the target audience, elementary and middle school girls, but also an expanded group of teachers, parents, and administrators within school districts that serve diverse student populations. By systemic change, I mean change at multiple levels of participation which can interact in both positive and negative ways. Change can be better understood by analysis of these relationships and by maximizing the positive interactions as leverage points