the gender challenge at the academy is there a challenge? should we do something about it?
TRANSCRIPT
The Gender Challenge at The Academy
Is there a challenge?
Should we do something about it?
un-der-grad.
master phd lecturer sen. Lect. assoc. prof.
prof.10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
“The scissors diagram”, Israel, 1995
w 1995m 1995
14 years (lecturer / senior lecturer to assoc. prof: 16/11.5 years)
un-der-grad.
master phd lecturer sen. Lect. assoc. prof.
prof.10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
From 1995 to 2009
w 2009m 2009w 1995m 1995
14 years (lecturer / senior lecturer to assoc. prof: 16/11.5 years)
un-der-grad.
master phd lecturer sen. Lect. assoc. prof.
prof.10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
“The scissors diagram”, Israel, 2009
w 2009m 2009
We want gender equality:
1. Pure economical justification, exploiting the human asset.
2. Equality, especially in the academia.3. Heterogeneity, and especially women, lead to a
better working environment.
undergrad
.
master
phd
lecturer
sen. L
ect.
assoc.
prof.
prof.
102030405060708090
womenmen
Cognitive differences???
National math exams: US department of education, 2007
Proportion of women graduating in Israel
Pro-women acts did make a difference:
undergraduate master phd
Why so few?
1. Postdoc as a significant barrier.
2. Traditional roles in the family, overlap between the first years of an academic career and of motherhood, different “priorities in life”, expectations of the society.
3. Viewing the academia as a cold and competitive place.
4. (Some fields, mainly natural sciences): masculine image.
5. Stereotypical thinking, preference of the like in situations of uncertainty, lack of women in “the corridor culture”.
Why so few?
1. Postdoc as a significant barrier.
2. Traditional roles in the family, overlap between the first years of an academic career and of motherhood, different “priorities in life”, expectations of the society.
3. Viewing the academia as a cold and competitive place.
4. (Some fields, mainly natural sciences): masculine image.
5. Stereotypical thinking, preference of the like in situations of uncertainty, lack of women in “the corridor culture”.
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Why so few?
5. Stereotypical thinking, preference of the like in situations of uncertainty, lack of women in “the corridor culture”.
Gender bias!
Exists, indeed, also in our own backyard.
John and Joan 1968/1986
1: good5: bad
The effect of switching to blind reviews:
Competence score (“grade the applicant”) vs. scientific productivity (publications, citations)
ISF success rate in grant proposals:
(5-10% out of ~35%, thus 15-30%)
women success ratemen success rate
More:
-Analysis of recommendation letters (312 letters to leading medicine schools in US): significant disparity in superlatives, confidence in the recommendation, length, technical details,…
-Adding a curtain in orchestra auditions increased the number of women by 30%-60%.
- …
“after some periods of drought, she seems to find her place…”, “…took her a long time to found a lab”, “… little participation in international meetings…”
Lack of awareness…
Gender bias: intentional or subconscious?
Subconscious, and the stronger is the claim to control the subconscious, the stronger the bias is.
Category Items
Male Man, Boy, Father, Male, Grandpa, Husband, Son, Uncle
Female Girl, Female, Aunt, Daughter, Wife, Woman, Mother, Grandma
Science Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geology, Astronomy, Engineering
Liberal Arts Philosophy, Humanities, Arts, Literature, English, Music, History
Harvard Implicit Association test
Male Female
Wife
Category Items
Male Man, Boy, Father, Male, Grandpa, Husband, Son, Uncle
Female Girl, Female, Aunt, Daughter, Wife, Woman, Mother, Grandma
Science Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geology, Astronomy, Engineering
Liberal Arts Philosophy, Humanities, Arts, Literature, English, Music, History
Harvard Implicit Association test
Science Liberal Arts
Math
Category Items
Male Man, Boy, Father, Male, Grandpa, Husband, Son, Uncle
Female Girl, Female, Aunt, Daughter, Wife, Woman, Mother, Grandma
Science Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geology, Astronomy, Engineering
Liberal Arts Philosophy, Humanities, Arts, Literature, English, Music, History
Harvard Implicit Association test
Science or Male
Liberal arts or Female
Boy
Category Items
Male Man, Boy, Father, Male, Grandpa, Husband, Son, Uncle
Female Girl, Female, Aunt, Daughter, Wife, Woman, Mother, Grandma
Science Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geology, Astronomy, Engineering
Liberal Arts Philosophy, Humanities, Arts, Literature, English, Music, History
Harvard Implicit Association test
Science or Male
Liberal arts or Female
Physics
Category Items
Male Man, Boy, Father, Male, Grandpa, Husband, Son, Uncle
Female Girl, Female, Aunt, Daughter, Wife, Woman, Mother, Grandma
Science Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geology, Astronomy, Engineering
Liberal Arts Philosophy, Humanities, Arts, Literature, English, Music, History
Harvard Implicit Association test
Science or Female
Liberal arts or Male
History
We got the position, now what?
Leadership: who leads the discussion?
Penalties for success: reaction to women who succeed in men gender-typed tasks (2004)
Personality: who is nice?
We got the position, now what?
Why so few?1. Postdoc.2. Motherhood. 3. Atmosphere.4. Masculine fields. 5. Gender bias.
• Barriers that money can solve / involve an academic compromise.
• We don’t want to perpetuate the traditional roles in the family.
• We want parents to enjoy their kids (and vice versa).
• Kids grow up, faculty members are here for many years.
Note, beware, remember:
What can we do?1. Postdoc.2. Motherhood. 3. Atmosphere.4. Masculine fields. 5. Gender bias.
Be aware. Make other aware.