What Would Ceci and Williams Do?
Dear Friends of Women in Science:
The same issue of the NIH report on women as noted in the Journal Impact posting also covered the recent article of Ceci and Williams in American Scientist on the role of child-related issues in under-representation of women in the science professoriate, "When Scientists Choose Motherhood." While we have discussed this article and their earlier work, I thought it was worth highlighting an aspect that we didn't discuss much earlier: what they recommended that institutions do in response. Here is the list:
position-sharing for couples
increased option for telecomuting
reentry programs
part time tenure track positions
adequate parental leave
enhanced flexibility of tenure clock
on-site high quality childcare
emergency backup care
I would favor all of these options, but must note that unless the high quality child care offers some kind of financial support to graduate students and postdocs, it would not address a major need. Childcare on campuses tends to be quite expensive and hard to access for womenin these ranks, who are in childbearing years. I hear over and over that faculty have reasonable support for child care, but postdocs either cannot afford it or cannot get their children into in due to faculty preferences and too limited a supply of slots.
cheers,
Laura
Laura,
Regarding discrimination. You work in a field of science that is reasonably well populated by women. I think you might have a different view if you were in a physics or EE department. I can hope, but I would be surprised if the average physical scientist/computer scientist/engineer didn't feel overt discrimination.
Marian
Hi Livi and Marian,
I don't often encounter overt discrimination today, but I hear from a lot of women that they feel disconnected and ignored, or put down in subtle ways, on a day-to-day basis. When it's time for goodies to be handed out, like more space or a special funding opportunity, they don't often get the call. It can erode their confidence, one small drop at a time. If they take joy in their work, especially if they have supportive students working with them, it can make it all worthwhile, though.
best,
Laura
Laura
I have to agree with Livi. I hear over and over that there is a problem with affordable child care; it is usually there, if you look. It may not be what you dreamed of, but it can be good.
I think that there are still severe problems for women, unrelated to children. These need to be addressed!
Marian
I know that Ceci and Williams emphasize the parenthood choice as THE BIG BARRIER today, but really they have missed a lot of problems that women without children STILL have in the field. They are doing meta studies, so they don't collect primary data, but I think if they asked any women in science directly if they feel there is no bias and no pressure, they would get a different answer.
Livi M
