I hope the article below is unnecessarily pessimistic, but there is a real problem and the resulting professional and personal carnage is something we can't afford to allow to continue--David Duffy
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/06/female_academics_pay_a_heavy_baby_penalty.single.html In the Ivory Tower, Men OnlyFor men, having children is a career advantage. For women, it’s a career killer. By Mary Ann Mason <http://www.slate.com/authors.mary_ann_mason.html> On Fri, Jul 5, 2013 at 4:59 AM, Kay Shenoy <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Unmarried Single, > You would naturally feel discriminated against because you have no idea, > and > absolutely cannot know, the amount of time it takes to care for a family. > Before we had a child, my husband and I worked 12 hours a day or more. Yes, > it was hard to get laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. done, but we had the > luxury or working 12 hours a day. Once we had a child, we no longer have > that option. Taking care of a child is a full-time job, and having a > regular > academic job on top of it is like working two jobs. Having children is a > right that must be recognized by institutions and made allowances for, > which > is not there in academia. You can have no idea how difficult it is to be an > academician and a parent. (And all this goes even for people who have to > care for other family members like elderly or ill parents). We should not > have to make a choice between taking care of our families and continuing an > academic career. I am so happy to see that NSF has recognized this and is > moving int eh right direction. > And BTW, spousal hires by Universities is not nepotism. It is simply > keeping > their desired people happy so that they stay in the University. Again, it > is > recognizing that family is important and that people should not have to > choose between family and career. I am sure the spouse is qualified for the > job they are hired for. > > -Kay > -- Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Botany University of Hawaii 3190 Maile Way Honolulu Hawaii 96822 USA 1-808-956-8218
