Mentor Relationships Among Women in Academe

Abstract

Although it is generally acknowledged that mentor relationships facilitate professional development and advance careers, little is known about the influence of gender on the nature and pattern of these relationships, especially for women in academe. On the basis of material in the literature and of their own and others' personal experiences, the authors discuss characteristics and stages of mentor relationships, resources exchanged by protegees and mentors, and strategies for handling problems that may arise. The need for creating new, more accurate metaphors or models for feminist-oriented patron relationships is explored, with the archetype, Artemis, presented as one alternative. The article concludes with an exploration of the implications of such relationships for education, practice, and research.