Skip to main content

Gender Gaps in North American Research Productivity

Examining Faculty Publication Rates in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Higher Education Research in the 21st Century Series ((CHER,volume 4))

Abstract

The under-representation of women in the academic profession can be observed in several countries. In North America, female faculty account for little more than one third of all full-time university faculty (AAUP, 2006; CAUT, 2007; Galaz-Fontes et al., 2008). Academic women also tend to occupy lower ranks and hold fewer upper-level administrative positions than their male counterparts (Bain and Cummings, 2000; Marschke et al., 2007). This is particularly troublesome at a time when North American women are earning doctoral degrees in record numbers (Schoening, 2009; Xu, 2008).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adelman, C. (2009). The spaces between numbers: Getting international comparative data on higher education straight. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy. www.ihep.org/research/GlobalPerformance.cfm

  • Altbach PG. Comparative higher education: Research trends and bibliography. London: Mansell; 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach PG, editor. The international academic profession: Portraits of fourteen countries. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach PG, Kelly DH. Higher education in international perspective: A survey and bibliography. London and New York: Mansell Publishing Limited; 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P. G.,& Kelly, G.P. (Eds.) (1986). New approaches to comparative education. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Association of University Professors AAUP. (2006). Gender equity indicators 2006. Available at (page accessed 24 May 2012): http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/research/geneq2006

  • Bain O, Cummings W. Academe´s glass ceiling: Societal, professional-organizational and institutional barriers to the career advancement of academic women. Comparative Education Review. 2000;44(4):493–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellas, M.L., & Toutkoushian, R.K. (1999). Faculty time allocations and research productivity. Gender, race, and effects. The review of higher education, 22(4), 367–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bensimon EM, Marshall C. Policy analysis for postsecondary education: Feminist and critical perspectives. In: Marshall C, editor. Feminist critical policy analysis II: A perspective from post-secondary education. London and Washington, DC: The Falmer Press; 1997. p. 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bensimon EM, Marshall C. Like it or not feminist critical policy analysis matters. The Journal of Higher Education. 2003;74(3):337–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, P. (2009). Gender differences in research productivity. A comparative analysis of Norway and Australia. Master Thesis, University of Oslo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blakely, D. (1989). What Should the goals be? Employment equity for female faculty in Canada. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 19(1), 29–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bosetti L, Kawalilak C, Patterson P. Betwixt and between: Academic women in transition. Revue Canadienne d’enseigment superieur. 2008;38(2):95–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Canadian Association of University Teachers CAUT. Almanac of post-secondary education in Canada. Ottawa: CAUT Publications; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark CD, Hill JM. Reconciling the tension between the tenure and biological clocks to increase the recruitment and retention of women in academia. Forum on Public Policy on line. 2010;2010(2):1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Wet CB. Reaching critical mass: Women in faculty and administrative roles. Forum on Public Policy on line. 2010;2010(2):1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox MF, Mohapatra S. Social-organizational characteristics of work and publication productivity among academic scientist in doctoral-granting departments. Journal of Higher Education. 2007;78(5):542–570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Guevara, P. (2004). Mujeres Académicas. El caso de una universidad estatal Mexicana [Academic women. The case of a Mexican state university]. México: Plaza y Valdez, UdeG.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galaz-Fontes J, Padilla-González L, Gil-Antón M, Sevilla-García JJ, Arcos-Vega JL, Martínez-Stack J. Mexican academics at the turn of the twenty-first century: Who are they, and how do they perceive their work, institutions, and public policies. RHIE, International Seminar Reports. 2008;12:345–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goedegebuure L, van Vught F. Comparative higher education studies: The perspective from the policy sciences. Higher Education. 1996;32(4):194–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein E. Effect of same-sex and cross-sex role models on the subsequent academic productivity of scholars. American Psychologist. 1979;34(5):407–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartley N, Dobele A. Feathers in the nest: Establishing a supportive environment for women researchers. Australian Educational Researcher. 2009;36(1):43–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson J. The story is not in the numbers: Academic socialization and diversifying the faculty. NWSA Journal. 2004;16(1):172–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leahey E, Crockett JL, Hunter LA. Gendered academic careers: Specializing for success? Social Forces. 2008;86(3):1274–1309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marschke R, Laursen S, McCarl-Nielsen J, Rankin P. Demographic inertia revisited: An immodest proposal to achieve equitable gender representation among faculty in higher education. Journal of Higher Education. 2007;78(1):1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maranto C, Griffin A. The antecedents of a ‘chilly climate’ for women faculty in higher education. Human relations. 2010;20(10):1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menzies H, Newson J. Time, stress and intellectual engagement in academic work: Exploring gender difference. Gender, Work and Organization. 2008;15(5):504–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monk-Turner E, Fogerty R. Chilly environments, stratification, and productivity differences. The American Sociologist. 2010;41(1):3–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ornstein M, Stewart P, Drakich J. Promotion at Canadian universities: The intersection of gender, discipline and institution. Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur. 2007;37(3):1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Padilla-González, L. E., Metcalfe, A. S., Galaz-Fontes, J. F., Fisher, D., & Snee, I. (2011). Gender gaps in North American research productivity: Examining faculty publication rates in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2011.564799.

  • Sax L, Serra-Hagedorn L, Arredondo M, Dicrisi FA. Faculty research productivity: Exploring the role of gender and family-related factors. Research in Higher Education. 2002;43(4):423–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SEP. (2006). Programa de mejoramiento del profesorado, PROMEP. Un primer análisis de su operación e impactos en el fortalecimiento académico de las universidades públicas. [Program for the improvement of the professoriate. A first analysis of their performance and impact in the academic strengthening of public universities]. México: SEP Secretaría de Educación Pública, Subsecretaría de Educación Superior.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoening AM. Women and Tenure: Closing the gap. Journal of women in Educational Leadership. 2009;7(2):77–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Side K, Robbins W. Institutionalizing inequalities in Canadian universities: The Canada Research Chairs program. Feminist Formations. 2007;19(3):163–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teodorescu D. Correlates of faculty publication productivity: A cross-national analysis. Higher Education. 2000;39(2):200–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. (2004). Where the elite teach. It’s still a man’s world. Chronicle of Higher Education, Dec. 3, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf-Wendel, L., & Ward, K. (2006). Academic life and motherhood: Variations by institutional type.Higher Education, 52(3), 487–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfinger NH, Mason MA, Goulden M. Problems in the pipeline: Gender, marriage, and fertility in the ivory tower. The Journal of Higher Education. 2008;79(4):388–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie Y, Shauman KA. Women in science: Career processes and outcomes. USA: Harvard University; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu YJ. Gender disparity in STEM disciplines: A study of faculty attrition and turnover intentions. Research in Higher Education. 2008;49(7):607–624.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Sense Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Padilla-González, L.E., Metcalfe, A.S., Galaz-Fontes, J.F., Fisher, D., Snee, I. (2012). Gender Gaps in North American Research Productivity. In: Vukasović, M., Maassen, P., Nerland, M., Stensaker, B., Pinheiro, R., Vabø, A. (eds) Effects of Higher Education Reforms. Higher Education Research in the 21st Century Series, vol 4. SensePublishers, Rotterdam. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-016-3_14

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics