Anchoring stability in a meritocratic world: Identities and career progression of women academics in STEM

This study examines how women academics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) navigate their careers through identity-related experiences, focusing on their journey within neoliberal academia. Despite the systemic marginalisation of women academics, existing career progression models often overlook the complex temporal dynamics and identity-related tensions they face. Using constructivist grounded theory and an intersectional lens, we conducted 32 guided interviews with women academics, exploring how they engage in integrated identity processes to navigate career progression. These processes involve three key mechanisms: (1) Anchored career narratives that stabilise trajectories through personal and professional reference points; (2) the intersectional identity work matrix, exploring the interplay of multifaceted identities; and (3) the identity play nexus, which envisions promotional futures. We devise a new conceptual framework from these findings to guide future research by providing a nuanced understanding of how marginalised individuals manage identity tensions to advance their careers amid the neoliberal meritocracy favouring the traditional, linear career model. This framework offers theoretically informed contributions to addressing the limitations of existing career models for women, highlighting the need for more inclusive approaches that consider the temporal and identity-related challenges in gender-segregated academic settings.