My future, ladies and gents

[exsequar]

From a purely Darwinian point of view, expecting a young woman to sacrifice her reproductive fitness for the sake of career advancement is simply too much, and yet the structure of academic research, in which one must spend one’s 20s and early 30s as a poorly compensated and minimally empowered graduate student and postdoctoral fellow, and the remainder of one’s 30s and into the low 40s working madly to earn tenure, can demand exactly that.

From The New York Times.

....... ;___;

Comments

[deirdre-c.livejournal.com]

I have two words: SCREW THAT!!

*leans back and points to three bouncing bbs*

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

*laughs* You rock!

I don't know, it's not so much about the kids as what I'm committing my life to. Is it for me? I just don't know! *crisis of confidence, etc etc*

I'm sure I'm going to bounce between elated and terrified for the next few months. Don't mind me!

[deirdre-c.livejournal.com]

Well, that's the beauty of these prospective student visits. You can sit down with other students in the department, sit down with faculty and talk about these kind of issues. Ask them what they feel they give up/gain. Ask how they negotiate their personal lives. A lot of times people (esp. the grad students if you can get them to the coffee shop) will be very candid about any down sides.

Also, *hugs*! Bouncing? You? NO WAY. ;)

[jebbypal]

*nods* Also, if you do talk to female profs or people in the program, you can also ask about if there's any help for soemone who does choose to have a kid during grad school/postdoc. For both, i know you still get maternity leave, but that can be more trouble than it's worth. Some of the society's have started fellowships so that women who choose to start a family as a postdoc can get funding to hire a tech for a year to help them be able to continue their work. It's something that most disciplines are actively trying to address, but as far as monetarily, the men have the same issues w/ enough money to raise a family anyways.

[mona1347.livejournal.com]

And the secretaries! TALK TO DEPARTMENT SECRETARIES.

For thence, the real power lies. :D

[hebrew-hernia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I read that, and was kind of not thrilled.

[missmollyetc.livejournal.com]

Hi! Uh, you...don't know me, but I've been friends list surfing and I just wanted to take a moment to respond to this article. I hope you don't mind, but this is a subject rather close to my heart.

It does take years and years in academia to get an advanced degree and it can take longer to get tenure, however as an MA holder myself, I can say that I've known women in my program working towards tenure and women working towards degrees who have children, and who planned and became pregnant while working towards either goal. My own mother gained her MAT while single-parenting two children. You can, actually, accomplish your professional goals and have a family as well. It's not easy, but it isn't impossible.

[mona1347.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Yeah, that. (And, before we get further, HAI HAI HAI!!)

I mean, I wouldn't frame it in "reproductive" terms - b/c that tends to rile me - but that whole "outline" of life through one's 40s as an academic is what ultimately made me throw in the towel on that particular plan. It SUCKS, omg, it is VILE and HORRID and ELITIST and NON-INCLUSIVE and EVERYTHING ELSE but it is a sad, hard truth that Academia is still an ivory tower structured for upper-class, white, male success.

If you have a little wifey (or husband), taking care of your kids and home and family, and/or working at some decent-paying job to put you through school and adjunct-hood....then you're good to go. If you've got family money, Mommy and Daddy writing checks for your grad school living, buying you a house to live in/car to drive/medical expenses/etc while you're an adjunct, etc etc...then you're good to go. But there are at least SOME sacrifices to "make it" if you don't have those things going for you, those privileges.

I decided I couldn't do it. I can't have the lifestyle I want and still be an academic of the quality I'd want AND stay sane. Other people can. I really hope other young women will decide they can, because it HURTS me, makes me FURIOUS, to think of all the people "they've kept out".

When ppl are like "blah blah Privilege, it doesn't exist, it's lazy people whining," I want to rant about this exact subject.