Misconceiving Merit: Consequences of the Work Devotion Schema in Academic Science and Engineering

• In Event: 021 - Regular Session. Gender, Work, and Overwork

Abstract

The work devotion schema is a moralized cultural structure that valorizes single-minded dedication to professional work. Scholars use the term “flexibility stigma” to describe the normative penalties that attaches to those who seek part-time or flexible work arrangements in order to manage family responsibilities. Less is known about the work devotion schema and its negative and positive consequences for full-time, long-hours, elite professionals. And little is known about whether the symbolic violation of the work devotion schema by having care responsibilities leads to a devaluation of productivity. This paper addresses both lacunas. We analyze the consequences of work devotion among a population of “ideal workers”—full-time science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) faculty at a large, highly-ranked research university. We find that work devotion is a strong norm in academic departments. Beliefs about the lower dedication of parents persist, despite evidence to the contrary. We find that parents of young children are, on average, more likely to personally embrace work devotion expectations than their colleagues. Further, mothers work similar hours, are equally successful at winning research grants, and have higher publishing rates than others, controlling for department and academic step. However, mothers suffer and an earnings penalty compared to colleagues in similar positions and with similar levels of productivity. We conclude that the symbolic violation of the work devotion schema by having care responsibilities leads to a misreading and devaluation of mothers’ actual productivity.

Author

• Mary Blair-Loy, Univ. California-San Diego