Dissecting a Gendered Organization: Implications for Career Trajectories for Mid-Career Faculty Women in STEM

This paper traces the workplace practices within which mid-career women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) carry out their careers. Findings from this case study of 25 faculty at one research university revealed three institutional processes that constrained their careers: (a) access to and integration into career networks; (b) distribution of labor in the department and institution; and (c) promotion and leadership. Using Acker’s (1990, 2012) theory of gendered organizations and subtexts I uncovered systemic inequities that could compromise professional advancement for mid-career women faculty in STEM. Implications for these findings; Acker’s theory; and recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are included.