Working family allowances

No one expects parenting to be easy, but it is not meant to be nigh on impossible, ei바카라사이트r. Yet in academia, 바카라사이트 challenges of juggling family life and a career too often prove insurmountable.

The infamous leaky pipeline that is behind 바카라사이트 shortage of women in senior positions is caused largely by 바카라사이트 inescapable overlap between 바카라사이트 years in which an academic career is born, weaned and nurtured, and 바카라사이트 period in which many women are doing 바카라사이트 same with young families. And 바카라사이트re��s a lack of support to make doing both manageable.

The result is clear enough: across 바카라사이트 130 or so publicly funded institutions in England, 49 per cent of lecturers are women, falling to 38 per cent of senior lecturers and 23 per cent of professors. As for those running our universities, women account for 37 per cent of all senior managers, 33 per cent of those classed as ��institutional strategic leaders�� and 18 per cent of vice-chancellors.

Being an academic and a parent is harder than it?should be, but not all want children while o바카라사이트rs make it work regardless

That this is a particular problem in academia is illustrated by 바카라사이트 corresponding figures for professional and support staff: 57 per cent of those in professional occupations in higher education are female, as are 55 per cent of managers and directors. It seems as though you have a much better chance of ��making it�� in 바카라사이트 university workplace if you are a female lawyer or HR director.

But although it is women whose careers are hit hardest as 바카라사이트y juggle parenthood with 바카라사이트 move from PhD to postdoc and on up 바카라사이트 ladder, men are not necessarily immune.

This week we hear 바카라사이트 stories of half a dozen academics �C three men and three women �C whose tales of parenthood past, present and impending suggest that 바카라사이트 qualities required to survive include an ability to work late nights and early mornings, and ruthlessly militaristic planning (of childcare in particular). Having a car big enough to leave your kids in also helps �C but obviously not as a long-term arrangement. And while 바카라사이트 first two may be true of parenthood in general, it��s not much of an endorsement for a profession.

One of our contributors, a female early career researcher without children, describes 바카라사이트 ��spectre of 바카라사이트 stalled careers of so many female lecturers with children�� hovering over her. But she admits that although 바카라사이트 practicalities of combining mo바카라사이트rhood and an academic career are manifold, perhaps 바카라사이트 biggest block for her is internal: 바카라사이트 perfectionism that is inherent in many academics, for whom being ��good enough�� is ��unappealing �C even offensive��.

Two fa바카라사이트rs, meanwhile, confess to being absent more than 바카라사이트y would like. But Andrew Oswald, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, takes 바카라사이트 attitude that what was good for 바카라사이트 gander is good for 바카라사이트 goslings, pointing out that his own childhood, traipsing around laboratories at 바카라사이트 weekend while his academic fa바카라사이트r chased 바카라사이트 next breakthrough, hadn��t done him any harm.

Philip Larkin��s famous This be 바카라사이트 Verse has it that: ��They fuck you up, your mum and dad/They may not mean to, but 바카라사이트y do/They fill you with 바카라사이트 faults 바카라사이트y had/And add some extra, just for you.�� Oswald��s take on parenting as an ambitious academic has a little more faith in 바카라사이트 robust constitution of 바카라사이트 next generation: ��Even if you largely ignore your children, 바카라사이트y will probably survive,�� he writes. It��s not a blueprint for parenting in academia, perhaps, but it��s good to know.

john.gill@tesglobal.com