Different Strokes, Different Folks: Academic Mothers/Carers and Imposter Syndrome

This paper examines the experiences of academic mothers/carers working in universities and imposter syndrome. It explores the complexities involved and the contexts in which feelings of imposter syndrome arise, both within academic, parenting and caregiving realms. It examines how these spaces intersect, separate, and collide and impact on career trajectories. Utilising the survey as a qualitative research tool (Brawn et al., 2021) researching 101 academic mothers, carers and scholars, this paper draws upon feminist (Rickett & Thompson, 2024; Taylor & Breeze, 2020) and intersectional frameworks (Crenshaw, 1989). As such, it makes intelligible possible causes of imposter syndrome for academic mothers/carers, possible structural causes for imposter syndrome feelings and the strategies these women adopt to cope with and overcome these feelings. In doing this, complex accounts centring on the impacts of being a parent/carer of children are examined, which involve the gendered expectations in academia, societal norms around parenting and work/life balance impacting career trajectories, professional identity, and personal well-being in the Academy. The research highlights the systemic challenges women academics with parenting and caring responsibilities routinely face, such as inequitable workloads (Guy & Arthur, 2020), intersectional disadvantage (Crimmins, Casey & Tsouroiufli, 2023), limited access to leadership roles (HESA, 2023), the primary responsibilities of caregiving and their potential impacts on feelings of imposter syndrome. The paper offers valuable strategies that women scholars employ to navigate these challenges, alongside recommendations to the sector to better support these scholars.