Trajectoires, représentations sociales et défis des femmes universitaires au Cameroun : cas des femmes de la falsh et de la fs de l’université de Yaoundé 1

Abstract

Observing the social distribution of gender roles developed with a view to harmonizing social life, in a context where the private sphere rhymes women and the public sphere with men, this research work entitled ‘‘Trajectories, social representations and challenges of University Women in Cameroon: Case of the women of the FALSH and the FS of University of Yaoundé I’’ raises the problem of the presence of women in the public sphere. Its aim is to understand how female academics from the Faculty of Arts, Letters and Human Sciences (FALSH) and the Faculty of Science (FS) of the University of Yaoundé I have managed to overcome the meshes of socially elaborated obstacles, to get into university education. To do so, this research is devoted firstly through life stories to the description of the trajectories of university women from disadvantage backgrounds but also those of university women from privileged backgrounds. This with a view to grasping the protective factors that have favored their professional integration into higher education. Secondly she devotes herself to highlighting the way which these women are represented in the socio-cognitive structures of individuals and finally to the socio-professional challenges they face? The life course approach of ELDER, the theory of social representations of MOSCOVICI and the dynamic and critical theory of BALANDIER were summoned on the theoretical level. Methodologically, this research is part of a qualitative perspective. The results obtained show firstly the fact that, whatever the socio-cultural and economic background from which university women come, their trajectories have been punctuated by risk factors. These risk factors are not only linked to economic, cultural, social but also emotional precariousness within disadvantaged backgrounds. They are also due to rigid and systematic parenting styles within privileged backgrounds. However, they were moderated by protective factors stemming not only from the strengths available to each of the families of university women from these different backgrounds but also from the individual characteristics specific to each of these university women. These combined protective factors have notably led to the integration of the latter among professionals in research and university teaching. Secondly, therefore, the presence of these women in the public sphere, sanctioned by the possession of economic, cultural and social capital, earns them the qualifier of ‘‘deviant’’ because they do not entirely comply with the expectations linked to their sex. This is explained by the fact that they move away from the feminine characteristic interiority in favor of the exteriority which is socially the masculine characteristic. Finally, despite this conquest of the public sphere by these women, they face many hurdles. These hurdles are closely linked in the professional university environment to androcentrism and to a priestly university function. In the social environment, these phagocytes are linked to ever- increasing family demands which deplete their resources and to an acrobatic reconciliation between their social and their professional life.