Voices About Choices: The Role of Female Networks in Affirming Life Choices in the Academy

This essay addresses the topic of women\u27s professional development in the academy, noting the critical roles fulfilled by support networks. Research and personal narratives explore the diverse choices women make, the resistance they sometimes face, and the need to find validation for those choices. Recognizing the importance of women\u27s achievement of tenure and publication, the authors also challenge the notion that those traditional measures of academic success are the only, or the best, way to assess women\u27s professional development