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Article

Transformative Collaborations

How a Motherscholar Research Collective Survived and Thrived During COVID-19

Published Online:October 12, 2021https://doi.org/10.1027/2157-3891/a000029

Abstract

Abstract. The COVID-19 global pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing gender-based inequities in the workforce. A research collective developed by academic mothers with young children (“motherscholars”) emerged as a solution to address some of the constraints particularly faced by mothers in academia. The Motherscholar Collective was formed to research the effects of the pandemic on the work and personal lives of academic mothers with young children. Focus group interviews of participants explored how the Motherscholar Collective has provided relief from the sources of threat generated and amplified by the pandemic. Findings showed that participation in the Collective was transformative. Key themes, including flexibility, collaboration, validation, and empowerment, reflect how the Collective contributed to motherscholars' sense of authenticity as scholars by facilitating a harmonious integration of their professional and personal identities. The resulting implications for academic workplaces suggest opportunities for institutional improvement toward the end of transformational empowerment for motherscholars in academia.

Impact and Implications.

The Motherscholar Collective, developed by academic mothers with young children (“motherscholars”) to address some of the constraints particularly faced by mothers in academia during the COVID-19 pandemic, was transformative for its members across several dimensions, including the provision of flexibility, collaboration, validation, and empowerment. The Collective contributed to motherscholars' sense of authenticity as scholars by facilitating a harmonious integration of their professional and personal identities, and it created a supportive space for members to engage in meaningful research. Thus, the findings suggest several opportunities for institutional improvement toward transformational empowerment of motherscholars during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

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