Academic parenthood: Navigating structure and culture in an elite occupation

Abstract

Many contemporary workers struggle to manage paid work and family responsibilities, leading scholars to explore mechanisms contributing to conflict between these two domains. Such examinations often center on pinpointing specific factors that explain variation in work‐family conflict, but these studies have less to say about how some occupational contexts create overwhelming demands for workers. In this article, I advocate for an approach that details the cultural and structural components of specific occupations. Building on scholarship about demanding jobs, I use academic parenthood as an illustrative case to demonstrate how certain occupational contexts are organized in ways that introduce challenges for caregiving. I then analyze how culture and structure jointly influence family‐friendly policies in the university setting, along with comparative experiences across discipline, gender, and race/ethnicity. Next, I describe how academic parents in the face of constraints, make choices, show agency, and demonstrate resistance. I conclude by identifying promising areas for future research.