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The gendered division of labor among STEM faculty and the effects of the critical mass.

Carrigan, C., Quinn, K., & Riskin, E.A.
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 4(3)
131-146
Journal Article
2011

This study explored whether there is a gendered division of labor for faculty in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at research universities and examined the connections between time allocation and satisfaction for STEM faculty within the context of a critical mass of women in the discipline. Using a weighted sample of 13,884 faculty from the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04), we found a gendered division of labor that is mitigated by a critical mass of women faculty in the discipline. Results lend empirical support to theories that argue critical-mass attainment positively impacts equity in resource distribution and time allocation.