Glass Ceilings, Gaslighting and Imposter Phenomenon in Academia: Narratives of Female Academics

Zihniye Okray; Dilem Öke; Beliz Köroğlu

Article Details

Glass Ceilings, Gaslighting and Imposter Phenomenon in Academia: Narratives of Female Academics

Authors:

Zihniye Okray | Dilem Öke | Beliz Köroğlu

Publisher:

Selcuk University

Main Topics:

Cinsiyet | Politika ve Yönetim

Journal:

Sosyal Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 1, pp.53-72

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001346901

pISSN:

2148-3043

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Aim: The imposter phenomenon is defined as a state of intense anxiety that successful women academics attempt to explain their success with external factors, not internal factors, and that women do not deserve the position they hold. Gaslighting is often defined as the imposition of ones judgment on another person, and this imposition involves psychological conflicts that cause pain for the individual. On the other hand, the term glass ceiling seems to be defined as the invisible but insurmountable obstacle that prevents minorities and women, regardless of their qualifications or achievements, from rising to the upper rungs of the institutional ladder. This research was conducted using qualitative research method, employing in-depth interviews. The academic staff of 11 Faculties, 5 Schools and Preparatory Schools where educational activities are carried out at the European University of Lefke constitute the population of the research. Method: The data were collected between March and June 2023, and the invitation to participate in the study was sent via e-mail. Questions were asked using a face-to-face semi-structured interview form with 5 women academics who reported that they volunteered to participate. Audio recordings were made with their consent. The semi-structured interview form consists of some socio-demographic information of the participants such as age, marital status, number of children, as well as questions about glass ceilings, the imposter phenomenon, and the perceptions and experiences of gaslighting. The interviews were transcribed by the researchers, and these transcribed data were examined by content analysis method. With this method, the answers given by the participants under the predetermined categories were examined. Results: The findings of the research stated that women academics face challenges establishing a work-life balance, with their academic career plans often conflicting, particularly regarding marriage and having children. Participants reported having to decide between postponing their academic career development or pursuing marriage and parenthood. On the other hand, it has been observed that women academics express the imposter phenomenon as a situation they experience, especially after they become managers. It has also been revealed that participants, influenced by the environmental feedback, start to think that they do things incorrectlyincompletely or inadequately, they need to double-check their work, or they adopt perfectionist attitudes by working hard and try not to receive such feedbacks from other individuals. The findings suggest that the participants did not feel discriminated against due to their gender regarding their perception and experience of the glass ceiling, but rather they were especially exposed to the phenomenon of queen bee syndrome. The findings obtained from the participants were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. Key words: women, academician, glass ceiling, Gaslighting, imposter phenomenon.

 Aim: The imposter phenomenon is defined as a state of intense anxiety that successful women academics attempt to explain their success with external factors, not internal factors, and that women do not deserve the position they hold. Gaslighting is often defined as the imposition of ones judgment on another person, and this imposition involves psychological conflicts that cause pain for the individual. On the other hand, the term glass ceiling seems to be defined as the invisible but insurmountable obstacle that prevents minorities and women, regardless of their qualifications or achievements, from rising to the upper rungs of the institutional ladder. This research was conducted using qualitative research method, employing in-depth interviews. The academic staff of 11 Faculties, 5 Schools and Preparatory Schools where educational activities are carried out at the European University of Lefke constitute the population of the research. Method: The data were collected between March and June 2023, and the invitation to participate in the study was sent via e-mail. Questions were asked using a face-to-face semi-structured interview form with 5 women academics who reported that they volunteered to participate. Audio recordings were made with their consent. The semi-structured interview form consists of some socio-demographic information of the participants such as age, marital status, number of children, as well as questions about glass ceilings, the imposter phenomenon, and the perceptions and experiences of gaslighting. The interviews were transcribed by the researchers, and these transcribed data were examined by content analysis method. With this method, the answers given by the participants under the predetermined categories were examined. Results: The findings of the research stated that women academics face challenges establishing a work-life balance, with their academic career plans often conflicting, particularly regarding marriage and having children. Participants reported having to decide between postponing their academic career development or pursuing marriage and parenthood. On the other hand, it has been observed that women academics express the imposter phenomenon as a situation they experience, especially after they become managers. It has also been revealed that participants, influenced by the environmental feedback, start to think that they do things incorrectlyincompletely or inadequately, they need to double-check their work, or they adopt perfectionist attitudes by working hard and try not to receive such feedbacks from other individuals. The findings suggest that the participants did not feel discriminated against due to their gender regarding their perception and experience of the glass ceiling, but rather they were especially exposed to the phenomenon of queen bee syndrome. The findings obtained from the participants were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. Key words: women, academician, glass ceiling, Gaslighting, imposter phenomenon.

 Aim: The imposter phenomenon is defined as a state of intense anxiety that successful women academics attempt to explain their success with external factors, not internal factors, and that women do not deserve the position they hold. Gaslighting is often defined as the imposition of ones judgment on another person, and this imposition involves psychological conflicts that cause pain for the individual. On the other hand, the term glass ceiling seems to be defined as the invisible but insurmountable obstacle that prevents minorities and women, regardless of their qualifications or achievements, from rising to the upper rungs of the institutional ladder. This research was conducted using qualitative research method, employing in-depth interviews. The academic staff of 11 Faculties, 5 Schools and Preparatory Schools where educational activities are carried out at the European University of Lefke constitute the population of the research. Method: The data were collected between March and June 2023, and the invitation to participate in the study was sent via e-mail. Questions were asked using a face-to-face semi-structured interview form with 5 women academics who reported that they volunteered to participate. Audio recordings were made with their consent. The semi-structured interview form consists of some socio-demographic information of the participants such as age, marital status, number of children, as well as questions about glass ceilings, the imposter phenomenon, and the perceptions and experiences of gaslighting. The interviews were transcribed by the researchers, and these transcribed data were examined by content analysis method. With this method, the answers given by the participants under the predetermined categories were examined. Results: The findings of the research stated that women academics face challenges establishing a work-life balance, with their academic career plans often conflicting, particularly regarding marriage and having children. Participants reported having to decide between postponing their academic career development or pursuing marriage and parenthood. On the other hand, it has been observed that women academics express the imposter phenomenon as a situation they experience, especially after they become managers. It has also been revealed that participants, influenced by the environmental feedback, start to think that they do things incorrectlyincompletely or inadequately, they need to double-check their work, or they adopt perfectionist attitudes by working hard and try not to receive such feedbacks from other individuals. The findings suggest that the participants did not feel discriminated against due to their gender regarding their perception and experience of the glass ceiling, but rather they were especially exposed to the phenomenon of queen bee syndrome. The findings obtained from the participants were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. Key words: women, academician, glass ceiling, Gaslighting, imposter phenomenon.

 Amaç: İmposter fenomeni sahtekârlık olgusu, başarılı kadın akademisyenlerin başarılarını içsel faktörlere değil dışsal faktörlerle açıklamaya çalıştıklarını ve kadınların sahip oldukları pozisyonu hak etmedikleri ile ilgili yaşadıkları yoğun bir kaygı durumu olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Kurbana dayatılmış öz-şüphe ise; genellikle bir kişinin diğer bir kişiye kendi yargısını empoze etmesi olarak tanımlanmakta ve bu empoze, birey için acı verici ruhsal çatışmaları içermektedir. Diğer yandan cam tavan terimi nitelikleri veya başarıları ne olursa olsun, azınlıkları ve kadınları kurumsal merdivenin üst basamaklarına yükselmekten alıkoyan, görünmeyen ama aşılamaz engel olarak tanımlandığı görülmektedir. Bu araştırma nitel araştırma yöntemi ile derinlemesine görüşme mülakat kullanılarak yapılmıştır. Çalışma Lefke Avrupa Üniversitesinde eğitim faaliyetlerinin sürdürüldüğü 11 Fakülte, 5 Yüksekokul ve Hazırlık Okulu akademik personeli araştırmanın evrenini oluşturmaktadır. Yöntem: Çalışma verileri Mart-Haziran 2023 tarihleri arasında toplanmış, araştırmaya katılmaya davet e-posta yolu ile gönderilmiş. Katılıma gönüllü olduğunu bildiren 5 kadın akademisyen ile bire bir yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılarak sorular sorulmuş, onamları ile birlikte ses kayıtları alınmış ve daha sonra araştırmacılar tarafından yazıya dökülmüştür. Yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşme formunda, katılımcıların yaş, medeni durum, çocuk sayısı gibi bazı sosyo-demografik bilgilerinin yanı sıra cam tavanlar, sahtekârlık olgusu ve kurbana dayatılmış öz şüphe algıları ve deneyimleri ile ilgili sorulardan oluşmaktadır. Yazıya dökülen bu veriler içerik analizi yöntemi ile incelenmiştir. İçerik analizi yöntemi ile önceden belirlenen kategoriler altında katılımcıların vermiş olduğu yanıtlar incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Araştırma bulguları, kadın akademisyenlerin iş-yaşam dengesini kurmakta zorlandıklarını, özellikle evlilik ve çocuk sahibi olma konusunda akademik kariyer planlarının örtüşmediğini katılımcıların ya evlilikçocuk ya da akademik kariyerlerindeki gelişimlerini erteleme kararı almak zorunda kaldıklarını ifade etmiştir. Diğer yandan, kadın akademisyenlerin özellikle yönetici konumuna geldikten sonra sahtekârlık olgusu yaşadıkları bir durum olarak ifade ettikleri görülmüştür. Akademisyen kadınların çevrelerine bağlı olarak bazı işleri yanlışeksik ya da yetersiz bir şekilde yaptıklarını düşünerek yaptıkları, işleri tekrar kontrol etme ihtiyacı duydukları ya da çok çalışarak mükemmeliyetçi tutumlar takındıkları ve diğer bireylerden bu gibi geri bildirimler almamak için çaba sarf ettikleri de ortaya çıkmıştır. Sonuç: Katılımcıların, cam tavan algı ve yaşantıları ile ilgili cinsiyetlerinden dolayı herhangi bir ayrımcılığa uğramadıklarını ancak özellikle kraliçe arı sendromu olgusuna maruz kaldıklarını göstermektedir. Katılımcılardan elde edilen bulgular ilgili alan yazın ışığında tartışılmıştır. Anahtar kelimeler: kadın, akademisyen, cam tavan, sahtekârlık, kurbana dayatılmış öz-şüphe.

Article Details

Glass Ceilings, Gaslighting and Imposter Phenomenon in Academia: Narratives of Female Academics

Authors:

Zihniye Okray | Dilem Öke | Beliz Köroğlu

Publisher:

Selcuk University

Main Topics:

Cinsiyet | Politika ve Yönetim

Journal:

Sosyal Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 1, pp.53-72

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001346901

pISSN:

2148-3043

women

academician

glass ceiling

gaslighting

imposter phenomenonkadın

akademisyen

cam tavan

sahtekarlık

kurbana dayatılmış öz-şüphe

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Zihniye Okray | Dilem Öke | Beliz Köroğlu

Publisher: Selcuk University

Main Topics: Cinsiyet | Politika ve Yönetim

Journal: Sosyal Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 1, pp.53-72

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 4/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001346901

pISSN: 2148-3043

Issues

Authors:

Zihniye Okray | Dilem Öke | Beliz Köroğlu

Publisher:

Selcuk University

Main Topics:

Cinsiyet | Politika ve Yönetim

Journal:

Sosyal Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.25 Issue 1, pp.53-72

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

4/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001346901

pISSN:

2148-3043