Crossing uncertain terrain: messages from male academics

Abstract

In this paper, comments made by a group of senior male academics in Australian universities about their leadership behaviours, are considered. Whereas the majority of the men in the study spoke about gender relations, and sometimes feminism in their workplaces, only two of the men engaged in discourses of gender and/or feminism, as well as actively practising and supporting pro‐feminist principles in their workplaces. For a further four men, who even though they utilised gender‐related discourses, there was dissonance with their work practices. It is speculated that fears of feminism, masculinity and of litigation may be possible explanations as to why several of the men grappled with the personal challenges of what it means to be situated in the ‘uncertain terrain’ of publicly espousing support for feminism whilst not wanting to lose their positioning as a male in a patriarchal system.

Keywords:

• masculinities
• gender
• leadership
• pro‐feminism