The Limits of Observation: Gender Differences in Professional Socialization

• In Event: 039 - Section on Social Psychology Paper Session. Interconnections: Social Psychology and Organizational Processes

Abstract

In many professional settings, women are less likely to be situated in professional networks and receive less direct formal and informal mentoring than men. To date, research on the effects of these trends focuses on the negative personal and professional implications of exclusion itself. However, we argue that the negative effects of this exclusion are exacerbated by its effects on the mode of professional socialization, particularly in careers that offer limited explicit training, like academia. Without the direct interaction that networks and mentoring provide, women rely heavily on observation to learn about careers. Using in-depth interviews with graduate students we find that the perceptions that women form based on these observations alone not only result in incomplete knowledge about academic careers, but also negativity about such careers and the possibility of achieving a sustainable and rewarding balance between their professional and personal lives. These perceptions play an important role in women’s career choices and ultimately reinforce women’s under-representation in tenure-track positions.

Authors

• Jessica L. Collett, University of Notre Dame

• Jade Avelis, University of Notre Dame

• Melissa Fletcher Pirkey, Emory University