Ecological modeling of women in the academic jungle
Dear friends of women in science,
Happy New Year to you all.
Those of you who have read my memoir, Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling, know that I started out in biology thinking I'd become an ecologist and later was converted to a DNA-lover. I still enjoy reading ecology from time to time. Helen McBride sent me a link to a very interesting article some time ago, and I finally got around to checking it out. It's in Oikos (Oikos 121: 999-1004, 2012 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20601.x) by two women in Australia, Katherine R. O'Brien and Karen P. Hapgood, called "The academic jungle: ecosystem modelling reveals why women are driven out of research."
It aims to model why, although more women are going into STEM fields, retention is lower and women perform less well on promotion and "common research metrics." The role of women in childcare and the narrow window of female fertility are the two factors the authors identify as key differences between men and women and use in their modeling analysis.
The authors describe the study as follows, ""...we explore how these two factors affect research output by applying a common ecological model to research performance, incorporating part-time work and the duration of career prior to the onset of part-time work. The model parameterizes the positive feedback between historical research output (i.e. track record) and current output, and the minimum threshold below which research output declines. We use the model to provide insight into how women (and men) can pursue a career in academia while working part-time and devoting substantial time to their family."
Not surprisingly, the model predicts that someone choosing to work part time will spend longer in the earlier part of her or his career than the time alone would suggest. The length of delay depends on such factors as amount of teaching involved and whether or not full time experience and publications preceded the part time period. They say, "the results explain some of the mechanisms behind the observed difference between male and female performance in common metrics and the higher participation of women in teaching-focussed roles." The authors say that the present system makes it too easy to lose women as researchers during their child-bearing years. They recommend, among other strategies, better mentoring and more part time research opportunities for women trying to re-enter the work force after their children start school.
Do any of you have experience that would relate to re-entry after child care? What do you think, would more part-time research jobs have helped? It seems to me this idea could be boosted by programs at NSF, for example.
cheers,
Laura
Hi Helen and Marian,
What struck me about a possible empty niche here is this: a teacher produces no data thus no papers, and therefore she can't really look to move back into a full time faculty slot. But if someone does great research in a part time research slot, perhaps she could fill in that missing element in her current CV. Probably CIT and MIT are not going to hire her, but small colleges might well, or she could get a full time rather than freeway flyer job at a comprehensive university perhaps. However, such part time research opportunities are rare now. That's the part that might offer an opening for helpful intervention.
cheers,
Laura
I like the idea of part-time jobs because there are women who would gravitate towards such positions if offered. And I do find friends coming back into research after 3-7 years away more than a little intimidated by a full time position right away.
I guess it would depend on where you see such positions going? Basically they are likely to be lab manager type positions in academic settings or research associate. They certainly would not be faculy level. So it would simply increase the pink collar science ghetto or make a real impact? I'm not sure about that.
What might would help some women transition are contract positions instead of full time positions. I have several friends who are science permalancers. They take 8-9 month positions and then rotate between 2-3 companies to be compliant with California labor laws. They take the summers off to be with their kids. It works well for them and keeps them using their valued skills. And they don't deal with the politics and other issues of the labs they work in. Truly they seem really happy to just do the work and have a balance that works for them.
To Marian's point, I agree with her that women in academe do tend to labor on about these points when women in industry just get it done. But I also understand that juggling a faculty position in academe is a lot harder because there literally is no one else who can/will run your lab for you when you're gone. Ultimately, that is the price tag for putting your name on that door. For those of us who work in integrated teams in industry, we have built in redundancy that helps us make transitions in and out of the office. And that's one of the reasons I was pleased to move on. So I think she's right. Either you stay and figure it out, or you move on and find what works better for you.
Laura
My response is likely not to be popular in this forum.
As a woman who returned to work when her first child was less than two months old and raised two children while working full time in a male-dominated profession, I have a bit of trouble with this topic. Am I in the same place in industry as men with my age and experience? Possibly not, but I can’t blame the discrepancy on lack of available child care or employer allowances!
I don’t understand why women in academia and similar settings feel that there should be allowances for them that aren’t made for women in the outside world. If you can’t stand the heat, then stay out of the kitchen!
I believe that asking for special allowances actually hurts the advancement of women. We have an uphill battle convincing the world that we are as competent as men in STEM fields without presenting ourselves as needing special compensation. There are more important steps that need to be taken and better places to focus our energies in order to level the playing field. Let's move beyond child care.
Marian
Hi Laura,
I don't think the government is too flexible in its job descriptions but I will check. It seems like a good idea worth trying out. A woman coming back for a full time job with a new pub would surely be in a stronger position than one with part time teaching.
KRP
Hi Sandra,
Yes, research institutes could be a good place for a woman to re-enter the job market. Love this idea!
cheers,
Laura
Hi Laura,
I never thought about it, but it seems to me that part time research is really rare. I think there's no reason why that should be so. I really like that idea. Some of our funds won't allow it, but I'll see if we can restructure some of our jobs to allow this to happen. Then, hope some good women will choose to try it.
SRA
