The Trials and Triumphs of a Solo Mother-Academic

Abstract

It is well documented in the literature that mothers in academia often work a “second shift,” performing a majority of the uncompensated labor at home in addition to the compensated labor in the workforce. Further, this second shift is compounded by a “child tax,” where mothers are penalized by the academy for caregiving responsibilities. Yet, much of the existing literature on gender disparity among faculty in higher education pertains to two-parent, heterogenous family structures. This results in a significant void and underrepresentation of other groups. The focus of this chapter is “solo parents,” specifically solo-mother-academics. A solo parent is one who has no co-parent with whom to share caregiving responsibilities. In this chapter, the author presents a literature review, highlights of the author's experiences as a solo-mother in the academy, and ways to navigate both worlds. This work is influenced by qualitative research methods.