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Informality, emotion and gendered career paths: The hidden toll of maternity leave on female academics and researchers

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  • Nicola Maxwell
  • Linda Connolly
  • Caitríona Ní Laoire

Abstract

While the negative impact of child‐raising and caring on women's career progression in academia is well‐established, less is known about the role of academic women's lived experiences of maternity leave as an institutional practice. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of the lived experiences of female academics and researchers in an Irish university. The analysis intrinsically links organizational structures and problems with the lived and felt dimensions of work. The findings point to the need for better structural accommodations for maternity leave which address the relationship between caring and career disadvantage within academia. The article adds to existing literature on the intersection of motherhood and academia by unpicking the specific role of maternity leave as both a lived experience and an institutional practice that can reinforce gender inequalities in academia.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Maxwell & Linda Connolly & Caitríona Ní Laoire, 2019. "Informality, emotion and gendered career paths: The hidden toll of maternity leave on female academics and researchers," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 140-157, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:26:y:2019:i:2:p:140-157
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12306
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Éva Fodor & Christy Glass, 2018. "Negotiating for entitlement: Accessing parental leave in Hungarian firms," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 687-702, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joanna M. Davies & Lisa Jane Brighton & Florence Reedy & Sabrina Bajwah, 2022. "Maternity provision, contract status, and likelihood of returning to work: Evidence from research intensive universities in the UK," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1495-1510, September.
    2. Sarah Duffy & Michelle O’Shea & Liyaning Maggie Tang, 2023. "Sexually harassed, assaulted, silenced, and now heard: Institutional betrayal and its affects," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 1387-1406, July.
    3. Dounia Bourabain, 2021. "Everyday sexism and racism in the ivory tower: The experiences of early career researchers on the intersection of gender and ethnicity in the academic workplace," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 248-267, January.
    4. Krystal Wilkinson & Julia Rouse, 2023. "Solo‐living and childless professional women: Navigating the ‘balanced mother ideal’ over the fertile years," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 68-85, January.

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