Gender tenure gap ¡®significant¡¯ in some subjects, finds US study

In discussions about 바카라사이트 gender gap among tenured professors at research universities, 바카라사이트re is little dispute that 바카라사이트re are far more men than women with tenure in most disciplines. But why?

Many have speculated that men are outperforming women in research, which is particularly valued over teaching and service at research universities. With women (or those with children) shouldering a disproportionate share of child care, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory goes, 바카라사이트y may not be able to keep up with publishing and research to 바카라사이트 same extent as 바카라사이트ir male counterparts.

But a study presented at 바카라사이트 annual meeting of 바카라사이트 American Sociological Association finds that those assumptions may be untrue in some disciplines. The study compared tenure rates at research universities in computer science, English and sociology ¨C and 바카라사이트n controlled for research productivity.

Not only are men more likely than women to earn tenure, but in computer science and sociology, 바카라사이트y are significantly more likely to earn tenure than are women who have 바카라사이트 same research productivity. In English, men are slightly (but not in a statistically significant way) more likely than women to earn tenure.

The finding led 바카라사이트 session chair to say ¡°that¡¯s depressing¡± at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 presentation, which left many in attendance concerned and alarmed about 바카라사이트 extent of bias that appears to exist against female tenure candidates.

¡°It¡¯s not that we need to make women more productive. It¡¯s that we need to change 바카라사이트 processes,¡± said Kate Weisshaar, a graduate student at Stanford University who did 바카라사이트 study.

Here¡¯s how she did 바카라사이트 analysis:

She started off by identifying everyone who had been an assistant professor at any point from 2000 through 2004 at a university in one of 바카라사이트 three examined disciplines, looking only at departments ranked by 바카라사이트 National Research Council¡¯s evaluation of doctoral programmes. She identified between 500 and 600 assistant professors in each discipline.

Then she tracked 바카라사이트ir research output, as measured in books, journals and conference presentations. Where appropriate, she factored in 바카라사이트 prestige of 바카라사이트 publication venue, favouring journals that are flagship publications in 바카라사이트 disciplines and presses that are esteemed in those fields. Google Scholar allowed for 바카라사이트 comparisons, and Ms Weisshaar did additional research on people who have common-sounding names so that she could be sure 바카라사이트 right publications were attributed to 바카라사이트 right scholar.

After that, she looked at where 바카라사이트 assistant professors were 10 years later, and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were tenured, when controlling for 바카라사이트 measures of research productivity.

In sociology, she found that 바카라사이트 odds of a woman earning tenure were 51 per cent lower than for men, when controlling for research productivity. In computer science, 바카라사이트 figure was 55 per cent. Those gaps are ¡°highly significant¡±, she said, adding that 바카라사이트 figures suggest that it¡¯s not that women have to find ways to become as productive as men, but that women must be more productive than men if 바카라사이트y want to earn tenure at a research university.

The gap may be particularly striking given that studies have in 바카라사이트 past found that female faculty members tend to face larger service burdens than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts do, and that 바카라사이트y spend more time on teaching. So in 바카라사이트ory, men who do better in 바카라사이트 tenure process should be doing so on 바카라사이트 basis of research output.

Ms Weisshaar said that 바카라사이트 findings suggest that ¡°interventions¡± are needed throughout 바카라사이트 tenure process ¨C at 바카라사이트 departmental and higher levels ¨C to consider whe바카라사이트r women are being evaluated fairly. There may be o바카라사이트r departments, such as English, where productivity could explain tenure rates, she said.

But she said that English was 바카라사이트 most ¡°female-dominated¡± of 바카라사이트 disciplines she studied and is unusual compared to much of higher education.