Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
In recent decades, the percentage of women in high‐level leadership positions
within academic libraries has increased to over 50%. While this seems like sig‐
nificant progress, women continue to represent at least 80% of the library work‐
force. In this presentation, we will address factors that contribute to the dispro‐
portionate number of women in leadership positions and identify obstacles for
women to attain leadership roles. We assert that librarians must develop a criti‐
cal awareness of the culture within academic libraries that continues to privilege
men and masculine leadership traits as well as our individual roles in perpetuat‐
ing that culture. Only then can we determine how we can change our language
and behaviors surrounding work and leadership in order to encourage women
to pursue leadership positions and to fully support them in these roles.
Conversation Guidelines
Listen actively ‐‐ respect others when they are talking
Be honest and willing to share
Try not to generalize
Be respectful of othersʹ experiences
Share your experience (not others)
What you share during the session the room stays in the room
?
?
A R L D D A Y 2 0 1 6 , A P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 1 6
Gender & Library Leadership: A Critical Examination
Robin L. Ewing
Professor & Research Librarian
St. Cloud State University
720 Fourth Avenue South
Miller Center 130B
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Melissa K. Prescott
Associate Professor &
Research Librarian
St. Cloud State University
720 Fourth Avenue South
Miller Center 204E
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Suggested Readings
Barriers and bias: The status of women in leadership. (2016). American Association of University
Women. Online report.
Bohnet, Iris. (2016). What Works: Gender Equality by Design. Harvard University Press.
Ibarra, H., Ely, R., & Kolb, D. (2013). Women rising: the unseen barriers. Harvard Business
Review, (9), 60.
Kegler, A. (2016, March 27). Hillary Clinton, Melissa Harris‐Perry and the Opposite of impost‐
er syndrome. HuffPost Politics. Huffington Post.
Olin, Jessica & Millet, Michelle. (2015). Gendered Expectations for Leadership in Libraries.
http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2015/libleadgender/
Sandberg, Sheryl. (2013). Lean In: Women, Work , and the Will to Lead . Knopf.
Twitter: #libleadgender; #critlib; #radlibchat; #LeadHERship
How am I going to change the status quo? When will I take action?
Seek leadership training
Find a sponsor or become one
Explore and address my biases
Support women leaders
????
Personal Action Plan
Page 2
Gender & Library Leadership: A Critical Examination
Further Reading
Baxter, Judith. (2010). The
Language of Female Leader-
ship. Palgrave Macmillan.
City of Boston. Boston —
Closing the Wage Gap. Online
report.
DeLong, Kathleen. (2013).
Career advancement and
writing about women librar‐
ians: A literature review.
Evidence Based Library and
Information Practice, 8 (1), 59‐
75.
Eagly, Alice H., & Carli,
Linda L. (2007). Through the
labyrinth: The truth about how
women become leaders. Har‐
vard Business School Press.
Hathcock, April. White Li‐
brarianship in Blackface:
Diversity Initiatives in LIS.
In the Library with the Lead
Pipe.
Neigel, C. (2015). LIS leader‐
ship and leadership educa‐
tion: A matter of gender.
Journal of Library Administra-
tion, 55(7), 521‐534.
Parks‐Stamm, Elizabeth. J.,
Heilman, Madeline. E., &
Hearns, Krystle. A. (2008).
Motivated to Penalize:
Womenʹs Strategic Rejection
of Successful Women. Per-
sonality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 34, 237‐247.
Ross‐smith, Anne, and Col‐
leen Chesterman. (2009).
‘Girl diseaseʹ: women man‐
agersʹ reticence and ambiva‐
lence towards organization‐
al advancement. Journal o f
Management & Organization,
15, 582‐595.
State of Americaʹs Libraries
Report 2016: http://
www.ala.org/news/state‐
americas‐libraries‐report‐
2016
Timeline Actions
This week
This month
This year
Self
This week
This month
This year
Library
This week
This month
This year
Profession
Gender and Library Leadership: A Critical Examination
Robin Ewing and Melissa Prescott
ARLD Day | 29 April 2016
Introductions
Robin Melissa
Associate Professor and Research Librarian at St. Cloud State University
Professor and Research Librarian at St. Cloud State University
Road map for today’s session
• Framing the issue• Barriers for women • Current leadership culture• Current mental model• Individual-level work• Organizational-level change• Toward a new vision
Framing the issue
Address “positional leadership” (directors, deans, etc.)*
Focus on gender discrimination while factoring in other intersecting forms of oppression
Acknowledge problematic binaries and issues with language
* AAUW. (2016). Barriers and bias: The status of women in leadership.
Framing the issue
• What does the data say?• Higher Education• Academic Libraries
Our approaches to gender and leadership
Melissa:
Critical theory, critical pedagogy, antiracist pedagogy
Systemic oppression, social constructs, and socialization
Social justice and equity
Robin:
Business management
Human resources
Logic
Ground rules
1. Listen actively2. Avoid generalizing3. Be respectful 4. Share your own experiences, not others’5. The conversation stays here6. What else?
Table talk
• What barriers contribute to the disproportional representation of women in leadership positions?
Barriers to leadership positions
• Societal structures • Personal interest and ambition• Gender stereotypes • Wage inequality• Less social capital • Lack of support
Barriers to leadership positions
• Societal structures • Personal interest and ambition• Gender stereotypes • Wage inequality• Less social capital • Lack of support
Current culture: Gendered leadership
• Factors that perpetuate a gendered leadership culture
• Strong socialization around gender• Expectations and goals affected by our
internalization of gender• Leadership traits biased toward men• Language that reinforces stereotypes
Lorber, J. (2010). “Night to his day”: The social construction of gender. In M. Adams, et al. (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (2nd ed.) (p. 321). New York: Routledge.
Gendered leadership: Language
HE…Is aggressiveIs carefulFollows throughLoses his temperExercises authorityIs discreet
SHE…Is pushyIs pickyDoesn’t know when to quitIs bitchyIs tyrannicalIs secretive
The family picture on HIS desk: Ah, a solid, responsible family man
The family picture on HER desk: Hmm, her family will come before her career
HE’S not at his desk: He must be at a meeting
SHE’S not at her desk: She must be in the ladies’ room
HE’S getting married: He’ll get more settled
SHE’S getting married: She’ll get pregnant and leave
HE’S having lunch with the boss: He’s on his way up
SHE’S having lunch with the boss: They must be having an affair
Kirk, G., and Okazawa-Rey, M. (2010). He works, she works, but what different impressions they make. In M. Adams, et al. (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (2nd ed.) (p. 353). New York: Routledge.
Current mental model: Gendered leadership
• Reaching parity• “Second-generation gender bias”• Denial of gender discrimination• Deluge of “self improvement” literature for
women leaders
Ibarra, H., Ely, R., & Kolb, D. (2013). Women rising: the unseen barriers. Harvard Business Review, (9), 60.
Individual level work
• Recognize behaviors and processes that perpetuate stereotypes and reinforce power dynamics• Use of language• Microaggressions
• Reflect critically on our social locations• Unearned advantage and disadvantage• Implicit and explicit biases• Expectations of ourselves and others
• Support each other professionally and personally
Table talk
• What actions can organizations take to increase the percentage of women in leadership roles?
Organizational change
• Early identification of leadership potential• Sponsors and mentors• Role models• Hiring procedures• Feedback • Case for change
Call to actionThree levels of what each person commits to doing
This week Yourself
This month Your library
This year Your profession
