What does it mean to be a "woman" in academia? What lies at the intersection between gender, professionalism and higher education? What kind of demands do we place on other women as colleagues, and as instructors?
I began to think about these questions in a project-based Pedagogy & Design course that I'm taking as part of my pedagogy training at the University of Alberta.
On the first day of class, Dr. Deanna Davis, the instructor of the course, showed snippets of her life, as part of her introduction, in her PowerPoint presentation. From pictures of her involvement in a choir, to her dog, to her children and husband, Dr. Davis shared aspects of her private life. At the end of the lecture, she asked the class what we thought about her sharing this information with us.
Silence ensued.
Are there risks involved in revealing "too" much about yourself? Does it seem "unprofessional"? Should it be discouraged? Is there a difference between how women and men talk about their family life?
Absolutely NOT.
For me, it was a relief.
Ever since I entered grad school, I've often heard stories of how some women try to hide aspects of their (private) life in fear that they will be discovered... discovered for what?
It’s not uncommon for some women to want to hide the fact that they are married especially if they're on the job market. Some women might hide their desire to start a family (god forbid the gap in the CV!); and some might feel pressured to hide their sexuality, while others, might try to dress the part in order to be taken more "seriously" (because, you know, a woman who upholds patriarchal standards of femininity through her dress clearly doesn't know what she's doing).
So, to have an instructor who openly shares aspects of her private life inspires me to do the same. It's not something to be ashamed of, it's not something that will hold you back, and it’s not something that we should try to conceal. Rather, it's part of our professional identity. Yet at times, some of us might feel tremendous guilt in being honest with who we are as "women" in academia.
This culture of anxiety that takes us on a guilt trip needs to stop. Having positive female an male role models has motivated me to become the scholar that I am today. They've provided me with guidance and confidence to know that I, too, can balance both the rigorous demands of academic life with a (potential) family life.
This, very brief, introductory segment of the course has drawn my attention to an entire body of scholarship that I'm excited to explore more about, especially, in relation to my own identity as a person doubly marginalised in terms of my gender and Japanese origin.
The end goal of this course is to create a syllabus of my own design. Having taught my dream course on Sherlock Holmes nothing can really top that (and nothing probably will). However, in thinking about the gender dynamics in higher education and its impact on the professionalisation of "women," in particular, I'm inclined to propose a course that addresses these issues.
Finally, in tribute to the pop music references in class, here's my favorite line from Beyoncé's "Run the World"
"Boy I know you love it
How we're smart enough to make these millions
Strong enough to bear the children
Then get back to business
See, you better not play me
Don't come here, baby
Hope you still like me
F U Pay Me"
