Date of Paper/Work
5-2018
Type of Paper/Work
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
Sharon Radd
Department/School
Organizational Leadership
Abstract
The number of childfree women in the United States has increased in recent decades, and those women occupy managerial roles at a higher rate than mothers. Childfree women, and women in leadership roles, encounter negative perceptions due to the inconsistency between their identities and the patriarchal views of the roles women should assume. This study examined how childfree women navigated perceptions assigned to them by others in order to gain credibility in their leadership. In qualitative interviews of 13 childfree women leaders, participants described others’ perceptions of them and discussed a variety of strategies they utilized to gain credibility in their leadership. Importantly, they navigated perceptions while also trying to gain credibility by being authentic to themselves. Goffman’s (1973) presentation of self theory served as the theoretical framework used to examine the findings.
Recommended Citation
McCluskey, Stephanie. (2018). Childfree Women: Navigating Perceptions and Developing a Leadership Identity. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maol_theses/34