Complex reflexivity: practices of women full professors in neoliberalised academia

Abstract

This article examines the case of women full professors in a gendered and neoliberalised context to propose the concept of complex reflexivity. This concept refers to an internal conversation and accounts for the practical way in which people may ponder their ambiguities and contradictions. This paper presents the concrete experiences and practices of some women professors in relation to the institutional structure. The research is based on fieldwork conducted between November 2018 and December 2020, which includes interviews with 24 professors, as well as an ethnographic study. Their complex reflexivity combines adapting to the precarious conditions, rebuscar (unusual ways of getting resources), perceiving envy from their peers, and, at the same time, dealing with the administration, reducing the time dedicated to academic tasks, and developing caring and careful practices. With their actions, the professors navigate the shortcomings and conflicts in the university, but they also modify these supposedly immovable conditions.

Keywords:

• Women in academia
• neoliberalism
• public higher education
• reflexivity
• adaptation
• resistance
• Latin America

Acknowledgements

I want to thank the women full professors that kindly shared their experiences with me. I am very grateful for all the suggestions and encouraging comments by the reviewers. I also want to thank Salma Vásquez for proofreading the manuscript. Finally, I specially thank Serhat Tutkal: we did it!

Disclosure statement

I have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Notes

1 Rebuscar is a widespread term in Colombian slang. I explain its meaning in the results section, but it refers to an unusual way of getting resources.