Disrupting the Culture of Silence : Confronting Gender Inequality and Making Change in Higher Education

What do women academics classify as challenging, inequitable, or "hostile" work environments and experiences? How do these vary by women's race/ethnicity, rank, sexual orientation, or other social locations? How do academic cultures and organizational structures work independently and in tandem to foster or challenge such work climates? What actions can institutions and individuals - independently and collectively - take toward equity in the academy? Despite tremendous progress towards gender equality and equity in institutions of higher education, deep patterns of discrimination of and hostility towards women in the academy persist. From the "chilly climate" to the "old boys' club", women faculty must navigate structures and cultures that continue to marginalize, penalize, and undermine their success. This book is intended as a "tool kit" for creating greater equality and equity in higher education. It presents the latest research on issues of concern to women academics and anyone interested in a more equitable academy. Through narratives and the use of critical feminist analysis, it highlights the hostile experiences of women academics, across disciplines and ranks, in order to disrupt complacency among those who might claim that things are "better" or "good enough"; and to provide readers with strategies to counter or dismantle barriers of culture, climate or institutional structures. The contributors compare and contrast the stories of women across races and ethnicities, and explore under-examined identities such as lesbian, feminist, married or unmarried, mother or non-mother. The book includes case studies of women who have encountered workplaces antagonistic to their identities, their approaches to teaching, or to their research agendas, and offers suggested action steps and best practices for individuals navigating such environments. Beyond women in academe, this book is addressed to administrators interested in changing their hostile cultures and policies, and to researchers/scholars investigating these phenomena.