Abstract
This study intends to gain an understanding of the sources of stress among women academics in research universities of China. Studies have shown that, compared with their male counterparts, women report higher level of stress in work/family conflicts, gender barriers and career development. Based on the results of this study, the following conclusions can be drawn about their particular stress experiences. Firstly, women academics perceived the demands for career development as highly stressful. The main career challenges for them include the need for renewing knowledge, lack of research productivity, and slow career progress. Secondly, gender related barriers increased pressure on women academics. These barriers are difficulties in getting into male-dominated networks, social stereotypes of women, and gender discrimination in promotion. Finally, women academics experienced more difficulties in fulfilling both academic work and family roles. The main conflict situations pertained to “performing both work and family roles very well,” “children’s education and future” and “lack of time to satisfy personal interests and hobbies.”
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acker, S., & Feuerverger, G. (1996). Doing good and feeling bad: The work of women university teachers. Cambridge Journal of Education, 26(3), 401–422.
Aneshensel, C. S., & Pearlin, L. I. (1987). Structural contexts of sex differences in stress. In R. C. Barnett, L. Biener, & K. B. Grace (Eds.), Gender and stress (pp. 75–95). New York: Free Press; London: Collier Macmillan Publishers.
Barnett, R. C., & Baruch, G. K. (1985). Women’s involvement in multiple roles and psychological distress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49(1), 135–145.
Caplan, P. J. (1993). Lifting a ton of feathers: A woman’s guide for surviving in the academic world. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Dai, J. H. (1995). Invisible women: Contemporary Chinese cinema and women’s film. Position, 3(1), 254–277.
Dua, J. K. (1994). Job stressors and their effects on physical health, emotional health, and job satisfaction in a university. Journal of Educational Administration, 32(1), 59–78.
Eichler, M. (1980). The double standard: A feminist critique of feminist social science. London: Croom Helm.
Eichler, M. (1988). Nonsexist research methods: A practical guide. Boston: Allen & Unwin.
Eichler, M. (1997). Feminist methodology. Current Sociology, 45(2), 9–36.
Eliou, M. (1991). Women in the academic profession: Evolution or stagnation. In G. P. Kelly, & S. Slaughter (Eds.), Women’s higher education in comparative perspective (pp. 145–164). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Fontana, D. (1989). Managing stress. Leicester & London: British Psychological Society and Routledge.
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gmelch, W. H., Wilke, P. K., & Lovrich, N. P. (1986). Dimensions of stress among university faculty: Factor-analytic results from a national study. Research in Higher Education, 24(3), 266–286.
Hall, D. T. (1972). A role model of coping with role conflict: The role behavior of college educated women. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 17, 471–489.
He, X. X., Mao, R., Mu, R. H., Zhou, Y. A., Li, Z. Y., & Shi, J. (1998). 经济转轨时期我国高校教师的精神压力 [Psychological stress among Chinese academics during the process of economic transition]. 高教研究与探索 [Higher Education Research and Exploration], 39, 279–296.
Jick, T. D., & Mitz, L. F. (1985). Sex differences in work stress. Academy of Management Review, 10(3), 408–420.
Johnsrud, L. K., & Wunsch, M. A. (1994). Barriers to success for women in academic life: Perceptions of participants in a colleague paring program. Higher Education Research and Development, 13(1), 1–12.
Keim, J., & Erickson, C. (1998). Women in academia: Work-related stressors. Equity and Excellence in Education, 31(2), 61–67.
Kelly, G. P., & Slaughter, S. (1991). Women’s higher education in comparative perspective. In G. P. Kelly, & S. Slaughter (Eds.), Women’s higher education in comparative perspective (pp. 1–13). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Psychological stress in the work place. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, 1–13.
Lazarus, R. S. (1993). Coping theory and research: Past, present, and future. Psychosomatic Medicine, 55, 234–247.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
De Longis, A., Coyne, J. C., Dakof, G., Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1982). Relationships of daily hassles, uplifts and major life events to health status. Health Psychology, 1, 119–136.
Martin, E. (1999). Changing academic work: Developing the learning university. The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
Mechanic, D. (1974). Social structure and personal adaptation: Some neglected dimensions. In G. V. Coelho, D. A. Hamburg, & J. E. Adams (Eds.), Coping and adaptation (pp. 32–44). New York: Basic Books.
Nelson, D. L, & Hitt, M. A. (1992). Employed women and stress: Implications for enhancing women’s mental health in the work place. In J. C. Quick, L. R. Murphy, & J. J. Hurrell, Jr. (Eds.), Stress and well-being at work: Assessments and interventions for occupational mental health (pp. 164–177). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Pearlin, L. I. (1982). The social contexts of stress. In L. Goldberger, & S. Breznitz (Eds.), Handbook of stress: Theoretical and clinical aspects (pp. 367–379). New York: Free Press.
Perlberg, A., & Keinan, G. (1986). Sources of stress in academe: The Israeli case. Higher Education, 15, 73–88.
Quick, J. C., Quick, J. D., Nelson, D. L., & Hurrell, J. J. (1997). Preventive stress management in organizations. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Rosen, S. (1993). The costs of reform to China’s women. Hong Kong: Asia Society, Hong Kong Center.
Smith, E. (1992). A comparative study of occupational stress in African American and white university faculty. Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press.
Taylor, P. (1999). Making sense of academic life: Academics, universities and change. The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
Triandis, H. C., Bontempo, R., Villareal, M. J., Asai, M., & Lucca, N. (1988). Individualism and collectivism: Cross-cultural perspectives on self-in-group relations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 323–338.
Tung, R. L., & Koch, J. L. (1980). School administrators: Sources of stress and ways of coping with it. In C. L. Cooper, & J. Marshall (Eds.), White collar and professional stress (pp. 63–87). Chichester: J. Wiley.
Walker, M. (1997). Women in the academy: Ambiguity and complexity in a South African University. Gender and Education, 9(3), 365–381.
Witt, S. L., & Lovrich, N. P. (1988). Sources of stress among faculty: Gender differences. The Review of Higher Education, 11(3), 269–284.
Zhang, X. M. (1999). 妇女参与高等教育特殊性的思考 [Reflection on the characteristics of women’s participation in higher education]. 高等教育研究 [Higher Education Research], 4, 86–89.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, L. A study on the measurement of job-related stress among women academics in research universities of China. Front. Educ. China 5, 158–176 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11516-010-0011-4
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11516-010-0011-4