5 research outputs found
‘A Lot of Them Thought I wouldn’t Last There’: African Women and Career Advancement in Academic Scientific Careers
This paper examines the relevance of cultural diversity in studies of women in scientific professions. It is based on a qualitative study of 18 African women in academic scientific careers and representing several English-speaking countries. I investigate how women who seek and gain entry into academic scientific careers are positioned in the academic hierarchy and whether their rate of progress is impeded by exclusionary practices in their professional fields. I also examine whether other interacting circumstances such as development issues, colonial legacies, and the influence of patriarchal states and cultures create somewhat different types of constraints and options for women in academic settings. I address these concerns by investigating the following issues: (1) early career experiences (academic, political, and economic concerns, (2) response from important others (professional colleagues, administrators, and students, (3) reflections on career barriers (faculty rank, research productivity, and perceptions of job satisfaction). Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2005