Articles · Vol. 8 No. 1 (2010): Journal of Higher Education in Africa · Pages 49-71

Academic Freedom and Dual Career Academic Couples: The Complexities of Being a Woman Academic in the University Space

  • Chinyere Ukpokolo
    Chinyere Ukpokolo Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
    Dr Chinyere Ukpokolois a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria where she teaches social and cultural Anthropology. She holds a Ph.D. in African Studies (Anthropology) from the University of Ibadan. She is...
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Vol. 8 · 2010 No. 1 Journal of Higher Education in Africa JHEA

Abstract

This study focuses on dual career women academics in a higher education (HE) institution in Nigeria. It explores the experiences of some of these women academics and exposes the internal dynamics that characterize intra-group interactions in the academe. It subsequently raises the issue of equitable participation of men and women academics in HE institutions in Africa. It attempts to understand how the constructed identities of dual career women academics intersect with their interactions in the university space, and im- pact on their career experiences. Paying attention to the marital institution also, this study explores how these women’s academic freedom can be un- dermined by the power play in this arena, bearing in mind their categoriza- tion. The study thus identifies the areas in which the autonomy and aca- demic freedom of women academics in dual career marriages are possibly undermined. Ethnographic methods provided data for this study. The article concludes that the challenge of academic freedom demands more inward examination of the ‘micro politics within’ in order to incorporate the interests of all stakeholders within the intellectual community in the struggle for aca- demic freedom and academic democracy in the continent of Africa.

Academic Freedom and Dual Career Academic Couples: The Complexities of Being a Woman Academic in the University Space

Cette étude concerne les femmes universitaires au Nigeria. Elle explore l’expérience des ces femmes et expose les dynamiques internes qui caractérisent les interactions dans le monde académique. Ensuite, l’étude pose la question de la participation équitable entre les hommes et les femmes dans les institutions académiques en Afrique. Elle cherche à comprendre comment les identités construites des femmes enseignantes déterminent leurs interactions dans l’espace universitaire et comment elles influent sur leurs expériences de carrière. En tenant compte de l’institution maritale aussi, cette étude s’intéresse à la façon dont la liberté académique des femmes peut être compromise par les rapports de pouvoir dans cette arène à cause de leur catégorisation. Les données dans cette étude ont été collectées grâce à des méthodes ethnographiques. En conclusion, l’étude affirme que le défi de la liberté académique requiert une introspection sur la ‘micro-politique interne’ afin d’incorporer les intérêts de tout les acteurs de la communauté intellectuelle dans le combat pour la liberté et la démocratie académique dans le continent Africain.

Keywords

Freedom Career Woman Academic University

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Author Biography

  • Chinyere Ukpokolo, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

    Dr Chinyere Ukpokolois a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria where she teaches social and cultural Anthropology. She holds a Ph.D. in African Studies (Anthropology) from the University of Ibadan. She is co-editor of Space, Transformation and Representation: Reflections on University Culture (Goldline and Jacobs Publisher, New Jersey, 2012).

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