Finally Equal Footing for Women in Social Science Careers (original) (raw)
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Women's Careers in Academic Social Science: Progress, Pitfalls, and Plateaus
2014
Many studies have shown that women are under-represented in tenured ranks in the sciences. Here, we evaluate whether gender differences in the likelihood of obtaining a tenure track job, promotion to tenure, and promotion to full professor exist in the social sciences controlling for background and productivity characteristics. Using the 1981-2008 Survey of Doctorate Recipients, we find first that women with children are less likely than similar men to enter track jobs but not single childless women, suggesting that women’s entry into tenure-track academia is dominated by choice rather than by any discrimination at hiring. We find that ceteris paribus gender differences in tenure award existed in the cohort of 1980s PhDs but disappeared for the cohort of 1999 PhDs. The exception is the field of economics, where at least the probit analysis suggests a gender difference of approximately 20% that has not disappeared and is even larger for those single and childless. Finally, we find th...
U.S. Women Faculty in the Social Sciences Also Face Gender Inequalities
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There is a national interest in United States women’s underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); however, gender inequality in the social sciences has not received similar attention. Although women increasingly earn postgraduate degrees in the social sciences, women faculty still experience gender inequities. Consistent gender inequities include slower career advancement, blunted salaries, unequal workloads, work-life conflict, systemic gender biases, underrepresentation in positions of power, and hostile work environments. Cultural biases suggest that once women have achieved parity, gender bias no longer exists. This review challenges that notion by providing evidence from social science domains in which women are well-represented but continue to face systemic gender biases. We examine cultural influences on gender representation and career advancement in psychology, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology. We make interdisci...
Where are the women? Accounting for Discrepancies in Female Doctorates
Although there have been noticeable improvements in recent years, geography continues to be a predominantly male discipline. The percentage of women receiving PhDs in geography has tracked lower than the U.S. average of female PhDs. Previous studies of women’s contribution to geography have focused on personal accounts or on the study of some of the most prominent practitioners, with a few studies using basic data on PhDs awarded and Association of American Geographers membership to determine trends. This article provides a comprehensive overview of doctoral degrees in geography by gender, over time, and across all universities in the United States by examining an alternative database, that of doctoral dissertations. The analysis yields three separate types of results. First, historical and contemporary variations among U.S. universities are examined. Second, data indicate that male and female doctoral students differ in the sex of their advisor. Third, a simple regression model explains some of the discrepancies in the proportion of female doctoral students by department. In sum, this article provides a comprehensive empirical study of the factors that might contribute to the continued disparities in female doctoral students in geography.
Academic Careers and Gender Equity: Lessons Learned from MIT1
Gender, Work and Organization, 2003
This article describes the experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after the publication of its report A Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT. It starts by describing aspects of the academic career that make it difficult for women, or anyone with responsibilities outside of their academic work. It then outlines three definitions of gender equity based on equality, fairness, and integration, and probes the reasons behind persisting inequities. The MIT results fit well into the first two definitions of gender equity, but fall short on the last. Finally, the article analyses the factors that came together at MIT to produce the outcome described and indicates the lessons learned and those still to be learned.
Women, choice and promotion or why women are still a minority in the professoriate.
2013
Women remain a minority in the Australian professoriate despite decades of equal opportunity policy. This article discusses the findings of an intensive case study that investigates why women’s representation declines at the most senior academic levels. Through in-depth interviews with 24 women, the study explores the extent to which women’s choices and aspirations are shaped by academic employment conditions that are ambiguous in their effects on women’s capacity to reach senior academic roles. Responses suggest that women are slowed down, in ways that men often are not, by multiple conditions. The findings draw attention to the need for equity policies that support women to reach the professoriate before retirement becomes the preferred option.
Gender Inequality in Career Satisfaction of Academics: The Role of Perceived Gender Disparity
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Research in Higher Education, 2018
With a focus on possible gender differences, this study used 2003-2013 data from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients to examine individual, institutional, and early employment factors that contribute to career paths of recent doctorates who enter postsecondary academic appointments. Findings showed some noteworthy differences by gender including lower salary and longer time to degree for women, but overall results indicated no strong, comprehensive evidence of a gendered path to tenure during the first decade after degree completion. Scholarly publications and activities such as research and a postdoctoral appointment in early years following degree completion were the most important contributors for both men and women. Implications for policy and planning are discussed.