Open Doors and Closed Ceilings: Gender-Based Patterns and Attitudes in the International Studies Association

Abstract

In 1995, the Gender Research Committee of the International Studies Association conducted a survey of the membership concerning the impact of gender on members' lives. In 2006, the Women's Caucus for International Studies sponsored a follow-up survey utilizing similar questions. A comparison of the findings of the two studies shows increased representation of women within international studies, persistent frustration with the slow pace of progress in women's access to senior positions and in accommodating family issues, some evidence of a chilly climate for women and a leaky pipeline, and significant differences between men's and women's perceptions of the status of women in the profession. The 2006 survey reveals a marked increase in concerns regarding the tension between women's family responsibilities and the academic environment, identification of structural discrimination, and concerns that men have been disadvantaged by affirmative action for women.Years ago women were indeed discriminated against. That's over now and, if anything, men are now discriminated against.-Male survey respondent-2006I think the problems are more deep-seated than just addressing child care or women as child-bearers. The ''tenured white men'' still rule.-Female survey respondent-2006 As women have entered the ranks of the academic profession, attention has been given not only to whether women have access to the profession, but also to whether they are thriving and advancing within it. Clearly, the profession is in Authors' note: Thanks go to Executive Directors of the International Studies Association Ladd Hollist and Tom Volgy for supporting ISA funding and implementation of the 1995 and 2006 surveys, respectively. We are very grateful to Mike Escalante at ISA for administering the 2006 web survey, collecting the data, and summarizing the frequencies. Ó 2009 International Studies AssociationInternational Studies Perspectives (2009) 10, 428-446.

Women in the Profession: The Composition of UK Political Science Departments by Sex

“…The term ‘female presence’ is preferred over the more qualitative descriptor of ‘women‐friendliness’. Other factors beyond quantity and seniority, such as childcare considerations, ethos, atmosphere, pay, working practices and management style, are of course important in considering the ‘women‐friendliness’ of any given department (although some suggest that a ‘chilly climate’ exists within departments in which less than 15 per cent of staff are women (Henehan and Sarkees, 2009, p. 436)). As such, this ranking should not be viewed necessarily as a naming‐and‐shaming league table, nor as an indicator of ‘women‐friendliness’ for any given department.…”

Gendered Citation Patterns in International Relations Journals

“…The status of female faculty in the academic profession has been the concern of many professional organizations such as the International Studies Association (ISA). Members of the ISA's Committee on the Status of Women and the Women's Caucus have examined issues related to women's representation in the ISA (Henehan and Sarkees ), gender differences in bargaining and service (Mitchell and Hesli ), and factors that influence the success of women in the tenure track (Hancock, Baum, and Breuning 2013). Findings from these studies comport with the larger academic literature on the gender gap in the academic discipline (Monroe, Ozyurt, Wrigley, and Alexander ).…”

Women Don't Ask? Women Don't Say No? Bargaining and Service in the Political Science Profession

“…Evidence for a significant gender gap has been demonstrated with respect to salaries (Bell 2001;Blackaby, Booth, and Frank 2005;Henehan and Sarkees 2009), publication rates and journal/book press placement (Breuning, Bredehoft, and Walton 2005;Breuning and Sanders 2007;Hesli and Lee 2011;Jaschik 2005;Mathews and Andersen 2001), employment at research versus teaching institutions (Sarkees and McGlen 1999), satisfaction with graduate school training (Hesli, Fink, and Duffy 2003), and attrition rates at all academic levels (Sarkees and McGlen 1999). Although recent studies show some decline in the academic gender gap (Henehan and Sarkees 2009;Hesli et al 2006), female scholars are still underrepresented at high-rank levels relative to the number of women receiving undergraduate degrees.The 2009 faculty survey conducted by the APSA (Hesli and Lee 2011) shows that the empirical pattern of a leaky pipeline exists in the political science profession. Table 1 shows that women faculty constitute smaller percentages at higher academic ranks.…”