The Silent Standpoint: How Professors Explain Gender Disparities in Academia

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Higher Education Studies
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender disparities persist in academia, particularly in professorial roles.
• Understanding faculty perceptions of these disparities is crucial for effective intervention.
• Sociological accounting theories offer a framework for analyzing explanations of social phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how male and female professors explain gender disparities in academic careers.
• To identify the underlying justifications and excuses used in these explanations.
• To uncover implicit biases and standpoints regarding women's qualifications for professorships.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research design utilizing 77 in-depth interviews with professors in higher education.
• Analysis of interview data through the lens of sociological accounting theories.
• Focus on identifying patterns in explanations, excuses, and justifications related to gender.

Main Results:

• Male professors predominantly attribute women's career barriers to family factors and personal preferences.
• Female professors emphasize systemic issues: lack of recognition, implicit bias, male networks, and unwelcoming culture.
• A 'silent standpoint' among male professors suggests a belief in women's lower qualifications for full professorships, often articulated indirectly.

Conclusions:

• Perceptions of gender disparities in academia differ significantly between male and female professors.
• Male professors' explanations often serve to neutralize or excuse these disparities, masking underlying biases.
• Addressing gender inequality requires confronting these differing perceptions and the 'silent standpoints' that perpetuate them.