I Thought You Wanted Authenticity

View Sample PDF

Author(s): Janet Acker (State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 26
Source title: Understanding Women's Avoidance of Leadership in Higher Education
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Heidi L. Schnackenberg (State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-0260-7.ch002

Keywords: Education / Educational Administration and Leadership / Higher Education / Information Science Reference

Purchase

View I Thought You Wanted Authenticity on the publisher's website for pricing and purchasing information.

Abstract

This chapter explores the paradox women face in higher education leadership, where authenticity is encouraged yet often penalized. Drawing from personal experience and feminist and Black feminist theory, the author examines how emotional expression, care, and relational leadership are devalued in systems rooted in masculine norms. The chapter critiques traditional leadership models and highlights the burdens of emotional labor. Concepts such as radical self-care, placemaking, and opting out are reframed as acts of resistance and agency. The chapter calls for institutional accountability and reimagines leadership as relational, embodied, and inclusive of women's full humanity.

The IRMA Community

Research IRM

I Thought You Wanted Authenticity

Purchase

Abstract

Related Content

IRMA Sponsors