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Labor Pains: The Multiple and Conflicting Roles of Academic Mothers

Light, Lindsey Beth
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1650577270454193

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, Higher Education Administration.
This study investigated the lived experiences of tenure-line academic mothers using a narrative methodology and interpretivist and feminist frameworks. Employing a semi-structured protocol, the researcher interviewed twelve tenure-line academic mothers at five midwestern institutions of higher education: one private four-year, one public four-year, one community college, one private Historically Black College or University (HBCU), and one private HBCU. After interviewing the academic mothers, the researcher composed narratives based on the transcripts. She also included her own narrative for analysis. After the narratives were member checked by the participants, the researcher conducted data analysis on the transcripts using low-inference coding. The coding allowed the researcher to focus on emerging themes as part of her plot analysis (Daiute, 2014). Through the use of plot analysis, the researcher uncovered the most prevalent characters, settings, initiating actions, complicating actions, and resolutions across the participants’ narratives. The significant characters that emerged were: the mothers themselves, husbands, children, supervisors, and mentors. The salient settings were universities and departments. The initiating actions for academic mothers consisted of the job search/interviews and pregnancy/giving birth. Pregnancy loss and the Covid-19 constituted the most significant complicating actions. Finally, mothers turned to boundary setting and “inscribing motherhood” (Pillay, 2009) as means of resolution.
Thomas Lasley (Advisor)
176 p.
Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Families and Family Life
academic motherhood; faculty life; faculty development; academic parenthood; pandemic; gender equity; covid-19

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Light, L. B. (2022). Labor Pains: The Multiple and Conflicting Roles of Academic Mothers [Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1650577270454193

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Light, Lindsey. Labor Pains: The Multiple and Conflicting Roles of Academic Mothers. 2022. University of Dayton, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1650577270454193.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Light, Lindsey. "Labor Pains: The Multiple and Conflicting Roles of Academic Mothers." Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1650577270454193

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

dayton1650577270454193
200
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This open access ETD is published by University of Dayton and OhioLINK.