So, I found this article a few weeks back...and I've finally had time to do some mental ruminating on it.
It's
a look at female PhD students studying chemistry in the UK, and where
(and how) they end up employed after all that fancy schooling. I can
totally relate with the figures they spit out. I've found quite a few other sources that will agree as well.
As
for where I'll end up, I'm still not too sure. All I'm 100% sure about
is that I don't want teaching to be my primary duty. (If you've been
following my blog, you know exactly why; if you haven't, well....just
trust me.)
At this point though, I kind of agree with
this article. I think I would be "better off" in industry....or with my
own consulting company/laboratory. I'm sick and tired with the
bureaucracy of Universities...I'm also sick and tired of being poor.
Honestly, though....I don't think my reasons are gender-based (as
brought up in the article).
As a female engineer in
industry (especially an industry that was VERY male-dominated...I was
one of six female "test engineers" in all of North America for a very
large "international" company. I think I was one of about 40
world-wide. (There was a pun there, but only the hard-core farm
equipment buffs will get it.) Bottom line, I saw more than my fair
share of barriers because I was female; however, none of them prevented
me from doing my job. It may have made it a little more difficult, but I
was always able to finish the job to the best of my abilities.
It
could be the lack of role models. I don't think so though. Although I
didn't have any "close" female science-type role models growing up, I
did have the chance to meet a wicked-awesome Canadian astronaut (who
also happened to be a very nice lady) when I was 11. That was a pretty
neat experience. From that point on I thought "If she can do this, why
can't I." (I'm not an astronaut, but I think I'm pretty damned close to
similar (but by far not even close) accomplishments. :P ....)
Either
way, I think the article is in some ways correct. There are fewer
women that enter academia, but I think it extends to further than the
"gender-related" reasons stated in the article.
Here's my 2-cents: It takes a lot of gumption, bull-headedness, stubbornness, patience, ambition, passion...and all those other flouncy nouns and adjectives...to finish an advanced degree, no matter what your gender. It's exhausting. I think that women just realize that there's a little more to life than everything that goes on in getting that fancy Doctorate, that once they graduate, they throw their arms in the air and exclaim "FUCK IT!" and decide to never have to deal with that crap again. They sell out and go into industry.
The men on the other hand, are just so damned excited that they were able to make it through, they have no idea what happened and decide to sign their name on the first dotted line that appears. It just happens to be a teaching position at a University...because the women graduands are perceptive enough to walk away while the walking's good.
You're welcome.
(Also when I'm done this degree, I'm starting to consider a second Doctorate in Women's and Gender studies or something of that likeness. We'll see.)
(There is some more deep thought on this subject, but it's late, I'm tired, and I have an assignment to work on. It involves some reasonably exciting math. I'd rather do that then write.)
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