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Everyday sexism and racism in the ivory tower: The experiences of early career researchers on the intersection of gender and ethnicity in the academic workplace

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  • Dounia Bourabain

Abstract

The academic workplace is often described as a place of merit and equal opportunities. However, research shows a leaky pipeline where the share of women and people of color decreases in the higher echelons of academia. Explanations are often structural, referring to the access barriers women are confronted with, such as hiring and recruitment. This research investigates what goes wrong in the early phases of a female academic's career. From an intersectional perspective, I study the experiences with everyday sexism and racism of PhD and postdoctoral researchers across disciplines. After conducting 50 in‐depth interviews, four processes are discovered: smokescreen of equality, everyday cloning, patronization, and paternalism.

Suggested Citation

  • Dounia Bourabain, 2021. "Everyday sexism and racism in the ivory tower: The experiences of early career researchers on the intersection of gender and ethnicity in the academic workplace," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 248-267, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:1:p:248-267
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12549
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anke Strauβ & Ilaria Boncori, 2020. "Foreign women in academia: Double‐strangers between productivity, marginalization and resistance," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 1004-1019, November.
    2. Mathias Wullum Nielsen, 2017. "Reasons for Leaving the Academy: a Case Study on the ‘Opt Out’ Phenomenon among Younger Female Researchers," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 134-155, March.
    3. Nicola Maxwell & Linda Connolly & Caitríona Ní Laoire, 2019. "Informality, emotion and gendered career paths: The hidden toll of maternity leave on female academics and researchers," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 140-157, March.
    4. Cecilie Thun, 2020. "Excellent and gender equal? Academic motherhood and ‘gender blindness' in Norwegian academia," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 166-180, March.
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    2. Saucier, Donald A. & Jones, Tucker L. & Schiffer, Ashley A. & Renken, Noah D., 2022. "The Empathetic Course Design Perspective," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 4(4), September.
    3. Tibboel, Helen & Pijpers, Kevin & de Bruin, Gwen & Denktas, Semiha, 2024. "Is the sandpit methodology a solution for disparities in research funding? Considerations regarding inclusion, diversity, equity, and access," SocArXiv vbdtp, Center for Open Science.
    4. Mónica Lopes & Virgínia Ferreira & Caynnã Santos, 2023. "Gendered Micropolitics in Academic Work Environments: Uncovering Microaggressions during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-22, August.

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