A reprieve from academia's chilly climate and misogyny: The power of feminist, women‐centered faculty writing program

Abstract

AbstractThe pervasiveness of sexism and misogyny and their harmful effects in academic contexts is well established, with scholars labeling women faculty's experiences of marginalization, devaluation, and exclusion as the “chilly climate” of the academy. Despite decades of intervention and research, the question remains: How can the chilly climate be mitigated? In the present focused ethnography, we examined a feminist, women‐centered faculty writing program at a US university that offered relief from the frigid temperatures by fostering a sanctioned space for women faculty to set aside their care work and to experience psychological safety, which, in turn, encouraged them to feel positive emotions regarding their writing and research. In addition to being impactful, the writing program is a feasible and easily adaptable intervention.