The Gendered Division of Service in Academia: A Scoping Review

Abstract

In the triangulate of academic work, which consists of teaching, research, and service, service receives the status of the ‘third wheel’ literally and metaphorically, with the service burden differing significantly based on gender. This study aimed to synthesise the literature from the past three decades on the gendered division of service in higher education institutions using a scoping review methodology. After reviewing 32 empirical studies, it was found that women academics not only carry greater service burdens but also perform more undervalued forms of service than their male colleagues. In addition, five focal areas of discussion were delineated in the extant literature. Among these, patterns in the relative distribution of service between men and women, individual and institutional antecedents of the service divide, and costs incurred by women academics due to greater service enactment have been extensively studied. However, only a limited number of theoretical frameworks have been employed to understand the service divide. Also, the effectiveness of different interventions aimed at redressing inequities in service allocation remains severely understudied. This deserves further attention in future studies.

Social Science Review [The Dhaka University Studies, Part-D], Vol.43, No.1, June 2026, pp. 75-98.