Research Article 21
Journal of Education & Social Sciences - Volume 11, Issue 2 2023
By Roshana Kamran, Edgar Burns
10.20547/jess1122311203
Keywords: Bullying; ostracism; higher education, incivility; harassment; Pakistan, women academics; tertiary sector; university administration.

Empirical research about academics being bullied in the Pakistan higher education (HE) sector has been an emerging field in the last decade. This small thread of important research has begun to explore the gendered experiences of women academics facing multiple forms of bullying and harassment against them. This scoping review identified 45 refereed articles based on 37 studies conducted over the past two decades that investigated bullying targeted at academic staff by colleagues and administrators. While these studies included both men and women participants who had been recipients of bullying conduct, this generalist focus has underplayed the gendered nature of bullying tactics. Bullying behaviors directed at academic women, and academic women's experiences of being targeted by such bullying conduct, have negative impacts on women academic's well-being, productivity, and careers. The present discussion of these empirical studies explores the limitations of both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Positively there are opportunities for developing this small body of research and associated concepts that over time can support significant changes in telling the hidden obvious stories of Pakistani academic women. Articulating their stories will have flow-on benefits for non-academic women, for men, and more efficient and fairer administration of HE.

Submission Date: 30 Jun, 2023 Reviews Completed: 7 Sep, 2023
Acceptance Date: 8 Sep, 2023 Publication Date: 14 Sep, 2023