Gendered games in academic leadership

• Published in: International studies in sociology of education Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 129 - 152
• Main Author: Acker, Sandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 01-06-2010
• Subjects: academic; Australia; Bourdieu; Bourdieu, Pierre; Canada; career; Careers; Case Studies; College Faculty; England; Females; Figurative Language; Foreign Countries; Gender Differences; Interviews; Leadership; Leadership Training; management; Occupational Aspiration; United Kingdom; Universities; Water Supply; women; Women Administrators; Women Faculty; Working Women; Australia; Canada; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 0962-0214; 1747-5066
• DOI: 10.1080/09620214.2010.503062

This article looks at women's efforts to construct an academic leadership career. It is not a study of women's leadership in general but one that takes place in what Bourdieu calls the academic field. Drawing from an in-depth interview study of 31 women from faculties of education who occupy managerial positions in universities in Canada, Australia or Britain, I focus on four contrasting case studies. For some women it is possible to build a satisfying academic leadership career, while for others, the surrounding contradictions encourage a more or less graceful end to leadership ambitions. I question the circumstances under which women attempting to construct academic leadership careers will be 'fish in water' or show a 'feel for the game', as well as the potential and problems of the game metaphor itself in this context.