A Phenomenological Study of Female Faculty and Their Intersecting Identities as Mothers and Scholars

• In Event: Female Leadership Roles: Examining Identity and Positionality

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of women who are mothers and full-time faculty members as they negotiate their intersecting identities as mothers and scholars in the home and in the socio-cultural context of higher education. Participants were mothers employed as full time faculty members in higher education. Data were collected via a questionnaire, life map, and interview. Data were analyzed in accordance with Moustakas’ (1994) procedures for conducting a transcendental phenomenological study, producing the following themes: (a) the socio-cultural influence of academia in the development of a researcher identity; (b) the integral role of spousal support; and (c) the importance of honoring all identities.

Authors

• Lucinda S. Spaulding, Liberty University

• Amanda Szapkiw, Liberty University

• Brenda Kay Williams, Columbia County GA School System