Feminism and Mentoring of Graduate Students*

Abstract

A small body of mentoring literature exists, but how mentoring relates to feminist supervision of graduate students has not been explicitly addressed. Because mentoring typically socializes individuals into a preexisting structure that feminist scholars may be challenging, critiquing, and attempting to change, important considerations arise for feminist mentoring. Three established feminist educators' stories of mentoring are presented. Commonalities and concerns are identified, and implications for graduate pedagogy are presented.

Challenges Confronting the Quality of Postgraduate Research Supervision and Its Effects on Time-to-Degree and Throughput Rates: A Case of a South African University

“…As suggested by Kram (1985), cited in Humble (2006: 3) mentoring consists of two functions: career, preparing individuals for a career; and psychosocial, providing social support. "Mentors provide sponsorship, protection, exposure, visibility, counselling, acceptance, confirmation, and/ or coaching to their graduate students" (Rose, 2005: 53).…”

Women and Leadership: A Developmental Paradox?

“…Mentoring relationships help emerging counselors to develop their interests and make important professional contributions. Without female leader role models of their own, many women may not know how to mentor (Humble, Solomon, Allen, Blaisure, & Johnson, 2006). Considered within the framework of feminism, mentoring itself may be counter to ideals of equality by virtue of the imbalance of power inherent in the relationship.…”

“…Professional literature may be another means to increase attention to gender issues for counseling professionals as well as clients. Feminist mentoring, as previously discussed, may be an avenue to promote feminist research and feminist themes in the next generation of counseling professionals (Humble et al, 2006).…”

“…Black and Magnuson (2005) highlighted authenticity, compassion, and vision, respectively, with the three domains they identified. It might even be suggested that the traditional hierarchical model of leadership, challenged by feminist efforts to equalize power (Humble et al, 2006), runs counter to the actual lived experience of women's leadership.…”

“…The most effective mentoring may follow more feminist-oriented principles. Themes in feminist mentoring include self-disclosing to nurture relationships, analyzing power, dealing with resistance to feminism, and working toward social change (Humble et al, 2006).…”