Gender Inequality in International Research Engagement Amid Transformation to Global and Neoliberal Academia: The Case of Japan

Megumi Watanabe

Gender, Work and Organization, 2025, vol. 32, issue 5, 1812-1822

Abstract: To contribute to the theoretical debate on gender inequality in international research and mobility, this study applies Zippel's glass fences framework to explore the lived experiences of female faculty working at a Japanese university. An analysis of the interview data revealed that family care responsibilities and limited research time due to other work duties were two commonly experienced glass fences (i.e., gendered barriers to international research). There was a tendency, particularly among participants with children, to discontinue international research as a way of negotiating the masculine nature of academia and the persistent gender norms in Japanese society regarding women's roles in the family. Considering the structural and cultural constraints of higher education in Japan, this study found a behavioral mechanism among women who renounced mobility and international research activities. Participants' narratives also suggested mechanisms for overcoming such behaviors. Based on these findings, this study discusses cultural specificity in the magnitude of glass fences and the possibility of exacerbating gender inequalities in the context of ongoing internationalization and neoliberal reforms in Japanese higher education.

Date: 2025
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