Alberta women in the field: Geoscientists in the resource industry, government research, and academia, 1914--1999

This dissertation takes a threefold approach in examining the changing nature of the entry experiences, career opportunities, and professional identities of Alberta women geoscientists working in the resource industry, government research, and academia between 1914 and 1999. First, it explores the literature related to women in science, women's entry to universities and graduate schools, women in academia and the professions, and women and the resource frontier. Second, it engages in the recovery and analysis of the careers of three early women geoscientists. Third, it undertakes an empirical study based on interviews of thirty-four contemporary women geoscientists in Alberta.;The review of the literature on women in science shows British women were in the vanguard of education for women in the geosciences, the cross-fertilization of scientific knowledge across international boundaries, and the impact of the transition from the amateur naturalist tradition to institutionalized and academic settings, which resulted in loss of visibility for the early contributions of women in science.;The diversity of the careers of Grace Anne Stewart, Helen Belyea, and Mary Turner illustrates the three different possibilities in terms of career path for women geoscientists: university teaching, research and field work in government service, and work in private industry and the oil patch. Stewart and Belyea fit the category of high achievers who concentrated on their careers, while Turner had a shortlived career in geology, married, and later resumed her teaching career.;The interview-based study shows that while career opportunities for women in the booming Alberta resource industry are very positive, social attitudes are the slowest part of the job equation to change. While women are gaining senior technical and management positions, lingering social stereotypes and outdated exclusionary practices continue to exist, and women continue to have to work to overcome them. Despite these challenges, a majority of women geoscientists interviewed in the study are experiencing or have experienced fulfilling and financially rewarding careers.