We Do Babies! The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of Pregnancy and Parenting in the Academy

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Mark Fine, Professor and Chair (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: The most awkward moment at that faculty meeting occurred when a certain senior colleague in the department replied, "Well, when my wife was pregnant, she gave birth during spring break and didn't miss a day of class." Despite backstage reassurances that these were unrealistic expectations, those who were pregnant experienced an unspoken pressure that failure to minimize the interference of impending parenthood on their careers threatened public impressions of their professionalism. The major component of this performance was the management of images and identities-the struggles of negotiating the integration and blurring of the boundaries between parent and professional; private lives and public roles; pregnant body and professional entity.

Additional Information

Publication
Language: English
Date: 2008
Keywords
pregnancy, motherhood, parenting, higher education, academic careers, women’s studies

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