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Systematic inequality and hierarchy in faculty hiring networks
Aaron Clauset1, Samuel Arbesman2, Daniel B Larremore3
1Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. ; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA. ; Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.
Science Advances
|November 25, 2015
Summary
Faculty hiring networks reveal a hierarchical academic system where institutional prestige, not just rankings, dictates career success. This structure perpetuates social inequality, with women facing disadvantages in placement.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Science
- Higher Education Studies
- Academic Labor Markets
Background:
- The faculty job market significantly influences scientific research, education, and careers.
- A quantitative understanding of faculty hiring dynamics and its systemic effects is currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively analyze faculty hiring networks and institutional prestige.
- To identify the key drivers of faculty placement and career trajectories.
- To investigate potential social inequalities within academic hiring.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of comprehensive faculty placement data for nearly 19,000 faculty members across three disciplines.
- Development of a technique to extract institutional prestige rankings that best explain hiring networks.
- Comparison of doctoral prestige and U.S. News & World Report rankings in predicting faculty placement.
Main Results:
- Faculty hiring exhibits a consistent, steeply hierarchical structure across disciplines, reflecting social inequality.
- Doctoral prestige is a stronger predictor of faculty placement than U.S. News & World Report rankings.
- Women are generally placed in less advantageous positions compared to men.
- Higher institutional prestige correlates with increased faculty production, better placement, and greater disciplinary influence.
Conclusions:
- Academic hiring is heavily influenced by a hierarchical system driven by institutional prestige.
- The findings highlight significant social inequalities within the faculty job market.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for addressing inequities and improving the academic system.
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