Ph.D. Parenthood Dilemma in Academia: Gender Differences in Trajectories of Childbearing and Ph.D. Pursuit among Researchers

Xinyi Zhao , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR)
Vicent Larivière, Université de Montréal
Cassidy Sugimoto, Georgia Institute of Technology

Harmonizing a scientific career and parenthood is challenging for researchers, particularly for female researchers. To gain insight into the gender difference in the conflict between academic career and parenthood, this study examines the trajectories of the pursuit of a Ph.D. and childbearing among female and male researchers and tests for the association between career-childbearing trajectories and career development by gender, using a global survey of 10,445 parent researchers. Generally, female researchers are less likely to give birth during their early career stages. In the five identified career-childbearing trajectories through multichannel analysis, females are more likely to be parent researchers without a Ph.D. degree, while males tend to obtain a Ph.D. degree earlier and have a large family with over two children. Females suffer more from caring for more children than males in their academic performance and are more likely to choose the research-based position without a fixed teaching schedule.

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 Presented in Session 112. Flash session Gender, Work and Parenthood