Inventor Masculinity: Innovation, Competition, and Male Privilege in Academic Science

Men faculty scientists engage in academic entrepreneurship at higher rates than women, yet few studies examine how masculinity shapes this disparity. This article conceptualizes inventor masculinity to explain how cultural practices and institutional processes reinforce academic entrepreneurship as masculine. Drawing on five years of fieldwork and 60 interviews in an academic research center and traineeship program, I show how academic faculty scientists perform inventor masculinity through cultural practices like competition, technical dominance, and sexist humor. While inventor faculty often separate social and technical domains, some strategically bridge the social and technical in service of market competition. These practices are reproduced through mentorship and training. Institutional processes like recruitment reward masculine practices while devaluing women and feminine practices. Through my investigation, this article reveals how cultural practices and institutional processes reinforce academic entrepreneurship as masculine, shaping who is included, what kinds of work are recognized, and how scientific success is valued.