Academia is built on structures which keep those with power in power. As a consequence, many of us are positoned as 'different' (e.g. for reasons to do with race, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, class). This also means we are often silenced or marginalised. There are systems and cultures in place which enable this to happen. The aim of this blog is to provide a space where we can challenge these power structures and speak out against these inequalities. This blog is for anyone who has experienced or witnessed, is experiencing or witnessing, inequality in academia (irrespective of position). This is a site where we can make our voices heard. This is intended as both a way to realise that we are not alone in our experiences and as a mechanism through which we can challenge these power structures. Tell your stories here by using the posts below.
The blogs below list some of the topics that have been raised in conversations I have had and through personal experience. If there are other topics that you think need to be included please let me know.
Anonymity on this blog
While email addresses are not displayed or available to me, a user name is shown if you log in, so keep your identity confidential and be creative with your user name! Or you can post as anonymous. (I would also caution against publicly naming your institution or department). ...... If you would prefer not to log in, email me your story, and I can add it to the blog. lookingforequality@gmail.com
Wednesday 6 April 2011
Promotion
My friend is leaving for a Chair at another uni. They can't wait for her to get there. She's leaving after years of being passed over for promotion. Sound familiar? Tell your story here
Part 1 I was thrilled when I had an interview for a lecturing post at this particular university. However, I was ‘warned’ about rumours that the department was not good for women. Perhaps naively, I took no notice – thinking that these were the result of professional jealousies or simply idle chatter. Upon accepting the post, it became very apparent that the rumours were true. I witnessed first hand the strategies used to keep the women locked out of any meaningful decisions in the department. I felt like I had gone back in time and was witnessing the sort of ‘battle of the sexes’ more frequently associated with the 1970s. I avoided getting caught up with all this at the beginning. However, things changed when I asked about career prospects and working toward a possible promotion. From this point onwards, I was a target for both covert and overt attacks on many levels. Initially, attempts were made to undermine my confidence as a teacher, researcher and administrator. I see myself as an ‘all-rounder’ and think I’m pretty strong in all these areas. When I successfully defended myself, the strategies seemed to change. While the standard of my work was no longer in question, there were repeated suggestions made about the state of my mental health!!: I seemed depressed; I was working too hard; I was not working hard enough; I was paying too much attention to detail; I was not paying enough attention to detail...Nevertheless, I was persistent in my queries about promotional prospects and when I was not given clear information, I read anything I could find on the kinds of things taken into consideration. Even when I asked direct questions about where there might be gaps in my experience or what I needed to do in order to be considered for promotion, I was given the brush-off. I went ahead with my application and expected that when it was, inevitably, turned down I would at least receive information about what needed strengthening for the future. Even then I was simply told I did not fulfill the criteria. I don't believe I was being judged upon what I had done or what I was willing to do in the future. Instead, my application was not supported because I was not part of the ‘in crowd’ – looking around, the majority of this ‘in crowd’ seem to be white, middle class, heterosexual men. Unless I stopped applying for promotion, I had the impression that all I had to look forward to was round upon round of unfair criticism aimed at eroding my confidence and ambition
Part 2 More recently, I have heard from others who have received this kind oftreatment. What has emerged from our discussions, as we've nervously swapped stories, is a pattern around the less than overt methods being employed to keep us in our place. For instance, each of us has been repeatedly told (by certain people in higher positions) that one or other of us is ‘difficult to work with’, ‘unhelpful’, ‘lazy’. This is hardly conducive to the formation of productive working relationships amongst staff – although it was successful in stopping us from talking to each for quite some time. The institution of these kinds of ‘narratives’ is, I assume, designed to alienate – to divide and conquer. This might be the politics of the playground, but, sadly, it works – particularly in the current climate. Although afraid of the consequences, a group of us recently took our concerns to HR. While this was not an entirely fruitless undertaking, what we really saw was support being offered to those carrying out these negative ‘management strategies’. Things do seem to have eased in terms of the overt attacks on my professionalism and abilities, but I am left feeling that I have little hope of any kind of career advancement. There are few opportunities elsewhere at present and some say it is the same everywhere. Well, if it is, then that is simply appalling in this day and age. This website has reminded me that I should not give up and I should try to keep a hold on some semblance of self-respect and confidence in my abilities.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled when I had an interview for a lecturing post at this particular university. However, I was ‘warned’ about rumours that the department was not good for women. Perhaps naively, I took no notice – thinking that these were the result of professional jealousies or simply idle chatter. Upon accepting the post, it became very apparent that the rumours were true. I witnessed first hand the strategies used to keep the women locked out of any meaningful decisions in the department. I felt like I had gone back in time and was witnessing the sort of ‘battle of the sexes’ more frequently associated with the 1970s. I avoided getting caught up with all this at the beginning. However, things changed when I asked about career prospects and working toward a possible promotion.
From this point onwards, I was a target for both covert and overt attacks on many levels. Initially, attempts were made to undermine my confidence as a teacher, researcher and administrator. I see myself as an ‘all-rounder’ and think I’m pretty strong in all these areas. When I successfully defended myself, the strategies seemed to change. While the standard of my work was no longer in question, there were repeated suggestions made about the state of my mental health!!: I seemed depressed; I was working too hard; I was not working hard enough; I was paying too much attention to detail; I was not paying enough attention to detail...Nevertheless, I was persistent in my queries about promotional prospects and when I was not given clear information, I read anything I could find on the kinds of things taken into consideration. Even when I asked direct questions about where there might be gaps in my experience or what I needed to do in order to be considered for promotion, I was given the brush-off. I went ahead with my application and expected that when it was, inevitably, turned down I would at least receive information about what needed strengthening for the future. Even then I was simply told I did not fulfill the criteria. I don't believe I was being judged upon what I had done or what I was willing to do in the future. Instead, my application was not supported because I was not part of the ‘in crowd’ – looking around, the majority of this ‘in crowd’ seem to be white, middle class, heterosexual men. Unless I stopped applying for promotion, I had the impression that all I had to look forward to was round upon round of unfair criticism aimed at eroding my confidence and ambition
Part 2
ReplyDeleteMore recently, I have heard from others who have received this kind oftreatment. What has emerged from our discussions, as we've nervously swapped stories, is a pattern around the less than overt methods being employed to keep us in our place. For instance, each of us has been repeatedly told (by certain people in higher positions) that one or other of us is ‘difficult to work with’, ‘unhelpful’, ‘lazy’. This is hardly conducive to the formation of productive working relationships amongst staff – although it was successful in stopping us from talking to each for quite some time. The institution of these kinds of ‘narratives’ is, I assume, designed to alienate – to divide and conquer. This might be the politics of the playground, but, sadly, it works – particularly in the current climate. Although afraid of the consequences, a group of us recently took our concerns to HR. While this was not an entirely fruitless undertaking, what we really saw was support being offered to those carrying out these negative ‘management strategies’. Things do seem to have eased in terms of the overt attacks on my professionalism and abilities, but I am left feeling that I have little hope of any kind of career advancement. There are few opportunities elsewhere at present and some say it is the same everywhere. Well, if it is, then that is simply appalling in this day and age. This website has reminded me that I should not give up and I should try to keep a hold on some semblance of self-respect and confidence in my abilities.