A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences of 10 tenured and untenured women from various disciplines who were engaged in academic careers while mothering pre-teen children. Analysis of the in-depth interview data uncovered six themes common to the participants: (a) sense of vulnerability, (b) sense of isolation,…

The academic workplace, with its requirements for achieving tenure within the first 6 years of employment, is designed in ways that discriminate against young faculty with family care responsibilities, most notably mothers. Mason and Goulden ("Academe," http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/2002/02nd/02ndmas.htm, 2002, "Academe,"…