Women Negotiating Life in the Academy

This book offers a new perspective on how Canadian women in the academy are re-conceptualizing and reconsidering their position as professionals. It examines central challenges associated with the lives of women scholars and higher education professionals, including their professional identity, institutional expectations, lessons learned throughout their career experiences in higher education, and navigating between multiple roles.

In turn, the book highlights the importance of both formal and informal networks of support. Each contributing author presents authentic examples from her lived experiences as a woman in the academy, situating her personal narrative within previous research in the field. Taken together, the respective chapters equip readers with a deeper understanding of the experiences of women in the academic world. This book is inclusive in nature, showcasing experiences from women who are scholars, students and higher education professionals.

The book makes a significant and unique contribution to the field of gender studies, with a focus on women negotiating life in the academic world and within the Canadian context. The evidence and insights shared here will benefit all scholars in women’s studies and comparative studies, as well as those considering a career in higher education.

• female scholars in the academy
• female narratives in the workplace
• women scholars in the academy
• women in the academy
• women narratives in the workplace
• work-life balance in the academy
• women working in universities
• gender and work in universities
• higher education in Canada
• feminism in the academy
• lived experiences of women scholars
• lived experiences of professional women in academia

• Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

  Sarah Elaine Eaton, Amy Burns

Sarah Elaine Eaton, PhD, is a full-time faculty member at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. She has worked in post-secondary contexts in a variety of roles since 1994. Her research interests focus on higher education leadership, policy and governance, with specific expertise in applied ethics and integrity.

Amy Burns, PhD, is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs in Education with the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. She has worked extensively in both the K-12 public school system and in the post-secondary context.  Her research interests focus on two main areas: feminist leadership in education and the role of leadership in pre-service teacher education.

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