Dr Gaia Brezzo - Who does the ‘housework’ in academia?

2024-04-24

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Dr Gaia Brezzo narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Drawing on a study published in Current Sociology, Gaia explores how societal gender roles have seeped into academia, leading to women disproportionately shouldering 'academic housework'—non-meritorious tasks like mentoring students and organizing conferences. The study, involving 163 interviews with social science professors in Denmark, categorises responses to academic admin into compliance, evasiveness, barter, and investment, r...

Dr Gaia Brezzo narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.

Drawing on a study published in Current Sociology, Gaia explores how societal gender roles have seeped into academia, leading to women disproportionately shouldering 'academic housework'—non-meritorious tasks like mentoring students and organizing conferences. The study, involving 163 interviews with social science professors in Denmark, categorises responses to academic admin into compliance, evasiveness, barter, and investment, revealing stark gender differences in engagement. Women, more often than not, find themselves in positions of compliance, accepting and performing these tasks far more than their male counterparts who frequently evade them. The implications are significant, affecting women’s research output and career progression within academia.

To gain a deeper understanding of this pervasive issue and its potential solutions, read the full blog or listen to Dr. Brezzo's narration for more insights.

Find the original text, and narration here on our website.

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-who-does-the-housework-in-academia/

#DementiaResearch #AcademicHousework #Academia #ResearchCulture

Dr Gaia Brezzo is a Research Fellow based within the UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh. Gaia's research focuses on understanding how immune alterations triggered by stroke shape chronic maladaptive neuroimmune responses that lead to post-stroke cognitive decline and vascular dementia. Raised in Italy, Gaia came to the UK to complete her undergraduate degree, and thankfully, stuck around. Gaia writes about her work and career challenges, when not biking her way up and down hills in Edinburgh. Follow Gaia on Twitter: @Gaia_Brezzo

Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk

This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.

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