The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on MotherScholars
A Comparative Case Study of United States and Australian Higher Education Women Faculty Role Strain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v14i3a.3783Keywords:
MotherScholar, COVID-19, Faculty, Higher Education, United States, Australia, Role Strain Theory, Case StudyAbstract
This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of women faculty with children (i.e., MotherScholars) in the United States and Australia. Using interpretive comparative case study design, the researchers interviewed MotherScholars to identify common themes based on roles and responsibilities that emerged as a result of the pandemic-caused shift to remote academic demands. Three primary themes emerged including a) accumulative burdens, (b) rationalization, and (c) gendered expectations. These themes were explored through the lens of Goode’s (1960) role strain theory to examine the experiences of both groups of MotherScholars. Researchers found that for these MotherScholars the circumstances of the pandemic rendered many coping mechanisms previously utilized to manage role strain obsolete, which contributed to increased role strain from the conflict between the role systems for mother and scholar.
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