A comparison of male and female scientists' careers: Productivity, rewards and attitudes

This inquiry begins with three problems: first, whether men and women scientists with similar educational backgrounds are allocated similar rewards; second, whether the relative role performance of men and women who earned Ph.D.s between 1969--1971 is similar to the role performance of earlier cohorts; and third, whether gender differences have become more muted over time.; Drawing on original data collected on the careers of pairs of male and female scientists who went to the same graduate schools, in the same field, and earned their degrees at approximately the same time, first, gender differences in role performance are examined to see what factors might be associated with them. Second, gender differences in attitudes about science, marriage, and family are explored based on survey data from these scientists. Third, men and women with similar early role performance are compared on rewards received later on.; There is evidence of discrimination, since women are less likely to be promoted than men, controlling for role performance, but to a lesser degree than earlier research on a comparable cohort who earned degrees in 1957--1958.; Women perceive the system of science as slightly more unfair, and tend to value various forms of recognition much less than men do. Women are much more likely than men to report that marriage and children have affected their careers in negative ways.; Regression analysis is used to determine which variables covary with gender differences in productivity. Some variables which reduce the effect of gender to insignificance are: rank and prestige when regressed in the same equation, current research activities, and attitudes about the influence of children on productivity; some variables which reduce the effect of gender, but it remains significant are: rank and prestige combined into one variable, number of people scientists' supervise, and number of hours per week doing research. There is evidence for both theories of social selection and self-selection.; Last, rewards are determined by gender after controlling for early productivity measured both in a new and traditional way. Gender differences are found for many rewards even at low levels of early productivity showing evidence of discrimination. For higher levels of productivity, many gender differences seem to disappear.; There appears to be evidence of both universalism and particularism in the reward system in science. Evidence of gender differences in self-selection and certain attitudes, point to factors other than institutional discrimination influencing productivity. However, these differences do not necessarily imply the absence of discrimination in the reward system. Therefore, it is important to understand more clearly why choices are made and how attitudes are formed.