Women''s Work: Science, Satisfaction and Success

The purpose of this study was to examine the veracity of the ongoing claim that a gender gap persists among postsecondary science faculty despite more than three decades of federal, state and private sector programs as well as affirmative action legislation, designed to identify and educate women and minorities in mathematics and science. This study concentrated specifically on the experience of women in the physical sciences focusing on tenure track hiring, salary parity, publication rate, instruction and research opportunities, etc. – general job satisfaction – relative to those of male science faculty. This study sought to determine whether these variables were significant contributors to the alleged gender gap, and determine their quantitative significance focusing on cultural and economic factors; gate-keeping and glass ceiling experiences and pre- and post-employment experiences as post secondary faculty. Data was obtained from the 1993 restricted edition of the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty which surveyed more than 11,000 faculty in the U.S.