Campus Review Vol 30. Issue 06 | Page 21

campusreview.com.au industry & research Suiting the part Research reveals school leaders’ wardrobes judged more than ever. By Kate Prendergast “Do you know what it’s like when a younger man shows up wearing the same cufflinks? You might as well be invisible.” So complains TV executive Jack Donaghy in the sitcom 30 Rock. The joke here, of course, is that heterosexual men’s fashion choices are the opposite of a high stakes game. Unlike the women on the show and in real life, their bodies and sartorial style aren’t typically subject to remorseless scrutiny, competition and judgement. An ongoing study by Monash University and the University of Nottingham focusing on female educational leaders shows the story hasn’t changed as society apparently becomes more liberated. Gathering insights from 400 female leaders across the world so far (from the UK to Australia, to Bangladesh to Malta), the survey finds that women continue to suffer ongoing evaluation on every item of corporate attire and accoutrement: clothing, makeup, hair, accessories, perfume, tattoos, piercings and so on. As was the case with Australia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, attention – media and otherwise – all too often shifts from what a woman does as an agent of authority and power, to “omg WHAT is she wearing!?” That is, her choice of shoes, or a flash of cleavage, or some other insignificant wardrobe element. In the survey, school leaders admitted relying upon blazers as a power-dressing mainstay, comparing them to a “suit of armour”, or even a means to mask femininity, which they fear may jeopardise their authority in a masculinist space. While a protection against sexism, it’s a double bind, as it conceals their authentic selves, disenfranchises their identities, and makes them beholden to stereotypes that should’ve been shucked off long ago. The ‘female leader’ isn’t a homogenous identity either, and the authors consider other pressures faced by marginalised and minority groups. In a book chapter exploring preliminary findings, the authors write that “the construction of appearance that complies with being the ‘right’ kind of woman – not too feminine, attractive, looks good, and dresses the part – can become a battleground for women who are ‘plus size’ (though we ask, plus what?), women of colour, women with disabilities, and older women. “To refuse these wardrobe expectations and costs is a choice – perhaps located in the individual biography or in another collective identity – in tension with the formal leadership position.” The tug of war female leaders feel between appeasing others’ expectations and being true to themselves is frustrating, exhausting and a professional distraction they could do without. The ‘others’ in this case are primarily parents, the research found. Staff came second, students third. “While women are disciplined to focus on their appearances, their energy and effort are being funnelled into directions that distract and deplete them, rather than help them advance their work and careers,” says Dr Amanda Heffernan from Monash University’s Faculty of Education, the study’s co-author. “We can see this reflected in our survey results, in the time that it takes to find the right items of clothing: the significant investment into ‘smart’ and ‘professional’ jackets; the time that it takes to achieve and maintain the ‘right’ hairstyle; and the choice one participant made in the mornings between a long relaxing breakfast or spending more time applying makeup. “We also see it in the pain, discomfort and restriction of movement described by participants when referring to their wardrobes. As one participant commented: ‘I am torn between wanting to look good and be respected, but also angry that I have to do this a certain way’.” Here’s to an age where a female principal can stress less about how parents are judging her on her choice of scarf. And when we can all agree that the colour of a woman’s eyeshadow has little bearing on the running of a school. The study’s preliminary findings are published in the book, Theorising Identity and Subjectivity in Educational Leadership Research. ■ 19