A new article published in Gender, Work & Organization explores how mobility expectations shape the careers and recognition of academic mothers. Through an in-depth analysis, the authors examine how implicit norms within academia — such as valuing travel, international conferences, and visibility across research networks — influence the way women, particularly mothers, accumulate academic capital.
Entitled “Generating Academic Capital Through Travel: Academic Mothers Navigating the Ideal of Mobility,” the article sheds light on the tensions faced by scholars who strive to meet these expectations while balancing family responsibilities. It reveals how mobility demands can reinforce gender inequalities, placing mothers in situations where balancing professional ambitions and personal life becomes an ongoing challenge.
The research, co-authored by Professor Merridee Bujaki (Carleton University) and Professors Stéphanie Gaudet and Ivy Lynn Bourgeault from the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa, invites readers to rethink what academic success means. The study argues for institutional recognition of diverse forms of scholarly contribution beyond physical mobility.
By highlighting the lived experiences and strategies of academic mothers, this work contributes to a more inclusive understanding of intellectual labor and the conditions under which knowledge is produced in contemporary universities.