Abstract
University women are coping within a nexus of political turmoil, economic disparities, civil rights turning points, and public health crises. COVID-19 in particular has added additional layers of responsibility related to the well-being of diverse students they teach, how they should teach, how to continue research, and how to effectively work from home. These layers also extend to emotional, cultural, practical, and medical support for family. Professional women may be perceived by society and family as trying to be “unsinkable” during normal times. However, women cannot perfectly achieve the ideal demands they place on themselves and that society places upon them. During this “apocalyptic reckoning” of multiple crises, women need self-care and allyship to sustain, maintain, and advance. Using feminist lenses, we examine first-hand experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms of four academic women with unique roles in higher education using auto-ethnographic methods. This is a well-established approach by female scholars/scholars of color/educators because it gives voice to historically under-examined issues. Auto-ethnographers are: a seasoned faculty member at a state flagship university; a faculty member at a private college; a manager in a state agency and a doctoral student; and, a distinguished psychotherapist counseling campus students and city community members.
Presenters
Diana RiosFaculty Communication and EL Instituto: Latino-Latin American Caribbean Studies, University of Connecticut, Connecticut, United States Graciela Quinones Rodriguez
Psychiatric Social Worker, Student Health and Wellness - Mental Health, UCONN, Connecticut, United States Mary Helen Millham
Contributing Faculty, School of Communication, University of Hartford, United States Karin Haberlin
Student, PhD Candidate, University of Connecticut, Connecticut, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
UNIVERSITY, WOMEN, RACE, GENDER, DISABILITY, COPING, CRISIS, COVID, AUTO-ETHNOGRAPY
