Article
Lean In or opt out? Career pathways of academic women
Change Magazine
(2015)
Abstract
Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In has prompted a range of conversations on campus—among women students who are becoming exposed to notions of discrimination, women faculty who are raising issues of equity in work roles and promotion, and women administrators who are trying to reconcile Sandberg’s advice to lean in with the fact that few women lead college campuses. The premise of Lean In is that greater will power and fortitude can enable women to surmount barriers that have prevented them from ascending to top-level positions. In this article, we examine how Sandberg’s call for women’s increased agency intersects with organizational and structural frameworks in college and university settings and with work norms that favor work at all costs. The analysis suggests that even when leaning in, both men and women will fail to reach their full potential without attention to workplace structures and norms.
Keywords
- gender,
- faculty work,
- leadership
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
Citation Information
Eddy, P. L., & Ward, K. (2015). Lean In or opt out? Career pathways of academic women. Change Magazine, 47(2), 16-22.