Cultural Barriers to Women's Progression in Academic Careers

A France‐Brazil Comparison Through the Lens of the Queen Bee Phenomena

Bibliographic Data

ID7167128
AuthorsCatherine Esnard (0000-0003-4637-799X, Center for Research on Cognition and Learning (CeRCA) Université de Poitiers Poitiers France, corresponding author), Rebeca R Grangeiro (0000-0002-9292-2648, Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale, Département d’Administration Économique et Sociale Université Paris Nanterre Paris France)
Year2025
Volume66
Issue2
Pages210-218
Publication date2025-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/sjop.13078
PMID39428381
OpenAlexW4403581507
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited45

Despite significant improvements, women are still underrepresented at high levels in academia. Most research on these inequalities is conducted within a specific national academic system, without taking into account its cultural roots. The aim of the present study was to analyze the extent to which the cultural context acts as a barrier on women's career progression. Specifically, we focused on psychological processes described under the metaphor of Queen Bee Phenomenon that may reflect the ways in which female academics conform to male‐gender roles encoded in androcentric social and academic culture. Two samples of women academic, one French ( N = 73), the other Brazilian ( N = 88), were compared through the lens of two dimension of the Queen Bee Phenomena: self‐group distancing and gender hierarchy legitimation. Brazilian women identify more with their female peer group than their French counterparts. French women are more hostile to quotas and more inclined to adhere to meritocratic discourses than their Brazilian counterparts. Both academic contexts tend to perpetuate gender inequalities, but in different ways: by maintaining gender‐stereotypical expectations in Brazil and meritocratic ideology in France. The implications for policies to promote a more egalitarian university context are discussed herein

Context (archaeology) · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Distancing · Ideology · Inequality · Legitimation · Meritocracy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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