Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 04:16:07 -0400
From: Thomas F Brown <tombrown@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Subject: Re:  hiring
To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu
Message-id: <97Jun20.041618edt.786-6@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

>There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that gendered tracking exists in
>the field of sociology.  It entails both "pushing" and "pulling," and it
>can be extremely subtle.  It also operates through many mechanisms.  I can
>only provide anecdotal evidence, but the cases should raise awareness
>among those who have never experienced such tracking or think it can't
>happen to them.

The cases you cite are very interesting examples of gendered social interactions
that can indicate discriminatory outcomes for women, but they are not evidence
of any specialized tracking or channeling in the sociology discipline. They are
examples that could occur in ANY occupational setting. They are indicators
of pervasive gendered interactions throughout society, rather than of any
characteristic peculiar to sociology or caused by sociology's disciplinary
institutions and practices.

>I have known women graduate students who have received criticism and
>ostracism, simply because they co-authored articles with members of the
>"old boy network."  Their women graduate student colleagues have
>insinuated that they were sleeping with these professors to gain their
>favor.

This is just common jealousy. It could occur anywhere. Anyone who lets
this kind of petty back-biting keep them from accomplishing their goals
probably wouldn't accomplish much anyway. It's no fun having to deal
with this kind of stuff, but any successful person in any field is going
to face it, male or female. I don't see how jealousy constitutes a push
into any particular specialty.

>Gender considerations have led to differential treatment - even when
>professors have the best intentions.  For example, people had heard that a
>given professor invited a male graduate student to his home to work on an
>NSF application.  Apparently, they stayed up really late crafting the
>application carefully, etc.  When one of his women advisees was applying
>for a grant, however, time to work on her application was relegated to
>office hours at the University.  When confronted with this difference, he
>said he thought it was inappropriate to invite a woman graduate student to
>his home in the evening.

This guy was probably afraid of a sexual harassment rap. I can certainly see
how this would constitute differential or even discriminatory treatment
according to gender, but it's a function of pervasive social regulation
rather than anything specific to the discipline. And again, I don't see how
this constitutes a push into any particular specialty.

>The old adage about professors being more likely to call on men hasn't
>become irrelevant.  One professor was confronted with his bias and now
>admits that he's working on his "gender problem."

Again, this has nothing to do with tracking into any particular specialty. And
by the time you get to grad school, how many people are waiting to be called
on? In my seminars you either pipe up or you don't. No one gets called on.
I can see how this can be a problem for young girls in school, or maybe even
undergrad women, but I would expect female grad students to be able to
express their opinions in an assertive manner in a seminar situation. If they
lack that modest degree of confidence, I might even say that they're lacking
basic qualifications for working in a position of responsibility--especially
one that *demands* communications skills just to be considered competent.

>Although these cases may not clear up the mechanisms which funnel women
>into gender studies, they point to subtle tensions that women face in
>graduate school.  Each of these situations has the potential to inhibit
>women from developing their skills, fairing well in competitions, and
>exhibiting confidence on the job market.  The male advisor - female
>advisee relationship is critical, because the majority of tenured faculty
>continue to be men.  While it isn't commonly said out-loud, I think many
>women graduate students experience feelings of gender discrimination.
>They may choose to work with women advisors to avoid these tensions.  They
>may find themselves attracted toward women-dominated fields, because women
>professors have shown interest in their work.

I see. You are proposing a path dependence model. Since women already dominated
gender studies, and since women prefer to work with women due to general 
problems of sexism or discomfort that arise when they work with men, the 
prevalence of women in gender studies is reproduced and magnified. This 
certainly makes sense, but it doesn't suggest to me an institutionalized 
channeling or tracking. It suggests self-selection based on general issues 
of gendered interaction pervasive throughout society rather than anything
unique or problematic within the discipline of sociology itself.