U.S. Women Faculty in the Social Sciences Also Face Gender Inequalities

Abstract

There is a national interest in United States women’s underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); however, gender inequality in the social sciences has not received similar attention. Although women increasingly earn postgraduate degrees in the social sciences, women faculty still experience gender inequities. Consistent gender inequities include slower career advancement, blunted salaries, unequal workloads, work-life conflict, systemic gender biases, underrepresentation in positions of power, and hostile work environments. Cultural biases suggest that once women have achieved parity, gender bias no longer exists. This review challenges that notion by providing evidence from social science domains in which women are well-represented but continue to face systemic gender biases. We examine cultural influences on gender representation and career advancement in psychology, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology. We make interdisciplinary comparisons of career trajectories and salaries using national data, documenting patterns across the social sciences. For example, women economists face gendered standards in publishing, and women political scientists are less likely to have their work cited than men. Furthermore, data show that salaries become stagnant as the representation of women in these fields increases. These disparities reflect cultural biases in perceptions of women’s competence stemming from social role theory. We discuss best practices to address these problems, focusing on the ADVANCE organizational change programs funded by the National Science Foundation that target (a) improving academic climate, (b) providing professional development, and (c) fostering social networking. Federally supported interventions can reveal systemic gender biases in academia and reduce gender disparities for women academics in the social sciences.

The faculty-to-faculty mentorship experience: a survey on challenges and recommendations for improvements

“…More women than men (24% of women and 17% of men) did not maintain contact with former mentors. The majority of mentees of both genders report having a male mentor (71% of men and 60% of women, Figure 7D-E) consistent with persistent faculty gender gap across disciplines (Casad et al, 2022; Li et al, 2021).…”

Supporting women’s research in predominantly undergraduate institutions: Experiences with a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award

“…Two recent articles on the plight of women in the social and behavioral sciences document that women continue to experience significant gender inequities despite their strong representation in these fields ( Casad et al, 2022 ; van Veelen and Derks, 2022 ). Data on citations, awards, promotions, salary, and invitations to give colloquia and keynotes suggest that women in the social sciences are under-recognized ( Beaulieu et al, 2017 ; Nittrouer et al, 2018 ; Ginther and Kahn, 2021 ; Gruber et al, 2021 ; Skitka et al, 2021 ; White et al, 2021 ).…”

https://doi.org/10.31876/rcs.v28i4.39112

“…This reality has become an issue for universities, leading them to take on programs to incorporate women into STEM careers. Initiatives such as these contribute to reducing gaps but also require a process of accompaniment and concrete actions to avoid desertion in an academic environment perceived as a barrier to success (Casad et al, 2022).…”

“…Esta realidad se ha convertido en una alarma para que las universidades hayan asumido programas de incorporación de mujeres en las carreras STEM. Iniciativas como éstas contribuyen a la reducción de brechas, pero también requiere un proceso de acompañamiento y de acciones concretas para evitar de deserción en un ambiente académico percibido como una barrera para el éxito (Casad et al, 2022).…”