Liberal Feminism, Cultural Feminism, and the Family-Friendly Campus

• In Event: Moms and Dads in the Academy

Abstract

This paper compares competing rhetorics about the necessity of family-friendly policies. While many institutions provide assistance to faculty parents, some feel that doing so is unnecessary, and that the onus should be on individuals to balance work and family. These contradictions emerged out of interviews with 70 faculty fathers at four research universities. Using theories of gender along with liberal and cultural feminism as a theoretical lens, the paper investigates how different approaches to parenting echo different strains of feminism. Findings from this study point to the ever-present conflict in U.S. society: should institutions accommodate workers who differ from the norm or is the burden on the individual to change to assimilate to the needs of the organization?

Author

• Margaret W. Sallee, University at Buffalo - SUNY