Rhetoric Society Quarterly Oct 2023

Ticking Clocks: Rhetorics of Tenure and (In)Fertility

Steph Ceraso University of Virginia ; Pamela VanHaitsma Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

This essay initiates a critical conversation about (in)fertility in academia. We argue that four patterns of discourse exacerbate the challenges for women and trans* academics struggling to conceive while navigating so-called “biological clocks” and “tenure clocks” simultaneously: conflicting rhetorics regarding egg quantity and quality in relation to the typical age one starts a tenure-track job; sexist and transphobic rhetorics of fear-mongering in medical and academic settings; rhetorics of silence surrounding the impact of miscarriage, which often accompanies infertility; and cisheterosexist institutional discrimination in the face of exorbitant treatment costs. We use feminist “strategic contemplation” to reflect critically on these patterns of discourse in relation to our lived experiences of (in)fertility. In doing so, we validate those struggling, educate those who are not, and seek a more just reproductive landscape for academic women and trans* people whose clocks are ticking.

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
2023-10-20
DOI
10.1080/02773945.2023.2191216
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Topics
discourse analysis labor and working conditions gender and writing
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