Is the Academic Climate Chilly? The Views of Women Academic Chemists
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Date
2010-03-09
Authors
Stockard, Jean
Greene, Jessica
Lewis, Priscilla
Richmond, Geraldine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Abstract
The statistical picture of the gender composition of chemistry as reported in national data indicates that women are underrepresented in academe in comparison to their representation in the field as a whole. This article presents data on the perceptions and views of a broad cross-section of women in academic chemistry departments and provides some clues as to why this underrepresentation may occur. In general, the data support literature that has posited a work climate that is problematic and less than welcoming for women. The results indicate that a large proportion of the women surveyed report that they receive little professional support through mentoring, that they perceive that there are strong differences in the resources and privileges awarded to men and women faculty, and that gender-related issues affect their department’s ability to recruit and hire or to promote women’s career progress after they are hired. Finally, the chemistry women in this study were significantly less likely than those in a national sample of academics to report being satisfied with their jobs and were significantly less likely than those in the national sample to agree that women and minorities are treated fairly.
Description
5 pages
Keywords
Gender, Education, Disparity, Demographics
Citation
Greene, J., Stockard, J., Lewis, P., & Richmond, G. (2010). Is the Academic Climate Chilly? The Views of Women Academic Chemists. Journal of Chemical Education, 87(4), 381-385. doi: 10.1021/ed800042z