Navigating Academia: An Autoethnographic Reflection on the Intersectionality of Gender, Race, and Motherhood in Academia

Abstract

Post-feminist discourse often promotes the idea that women have unlimited opportunities, yet systemic obstacles continue to persist in academia. Scholars such as Pomerantz et al. argue that while progress has been made, gendered academic structures often disadvantage women. In this chapter, the authors reflects on the author's experiences as a minority Iranian-Canadian immigrant woman navigating the challenges of motherhood and academia. Using an autoethnographic approach, the author explores the intersectionality of my identity as a woman, mother, daughter of immigrants, and academic. The author discusses how these overlapping identities shape the author's academic journey, particularly the unique struggles the author has faced in balancing academic aspirations with family life. Societal and institutional biases have created additional barriers, particularly the underrepresentation of minority women in leadership roles and the lack of mentorship, which has compounded the difficulty of navigating these spaces.