Connolly, Linda and Maxwell, Nicola and Ni Laoire, Caitriona (2019) Informality, emotion and gendered career paths: The hidden toll of maternity leave on female academics and researchers. Gender, Work & Organization, 26 (2). pp. 140-157. ISSN 0968-6673

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	career disadvantage; caring, emotions; gender inequality; maternity leave; structural obstacles;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, MUSSI
Item ID:	16342
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12306
Depositing User:	Linda Connolly
Date Deposited:	22 Jul 2022 08:34
Journal or Publication Title:	Gender, Work & Organization
Publisher:	Wiley
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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