Parenting Through Academia
January 6, 2020, Noon – 1:30, Rooms 402-403
Organizers: Brooke Flammang and Janneke Schwaner
A growing body of societal research across STEM disciplines has shown that academics experience different professional expectations, salaries, and resource availability as a result of their gender and parenting status. Leaky pipeline notwithstanding, female professionals with children are often thought to be less productive by employers and management (1), despite recent published findings showing higher productivity and greater efficiency from those with children (2); yet a historical bias that it is not possible to be both productive in science and have a family has caused many persons to choose against having children. Parenting can be challenging regardless of professional circumstances, but given the possibility to identify resources, enable opportunities, and create flexibility, academia may in fact be one of the best possible situations in which to be a career-oriented parent. The purpose of this workshop is to present a forum for conversation regarding a diverse range of parenting and professional experiences, with the goal of making useful strategies and lesser-known resources more widely available, in addition to building a community of persons for support and mentorship.
References:
1. England, P. Bearak, J. Bundig, MJ. 2016. Do highly paid, highly skilled women experience the largest motherhood penalty? American Sociological Review 81 (6): 1161 - 1189.
2. Krapf, M. Ursprung, HW. Zimmermann. 2014. Parenthood and Productivity of Highly Skilled Labor: Evidence from the Groves of Academe. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Working Paper Series 2014-001A.