The Matilda Effect in Sociology: Citations from leading generalist journals

• In Event: 411 - Section on Science, Knowledge and Technology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 07. Knowledge Circulation

Abstract

The Matilda Effect refers to the pattern where contributions by female scientists are less visible within science. In particular, research has found a gender gap with regards to citations in a number of disciplines (Aksnes et al. 2011; Davenport and Snyder 1995; Maliniak, Powers, and Walter 2013). These results are partially explained by productivity differences (Aksnes et al. 2011), share of referable publications by women (Håkanson 2005), and the visibility of the venues female scholars publish in (Aksnes et al. 2011). The goal here is to explore these issues within sociology, with an eye to understanding the extent to which these existing explanations capture the differences within the discipline. I use full records from Web of Science for articles published at leading generalist sociology journals between 1992 and 2002. Four generalist journals were selected: American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Social Forces and Social Problems. I explore many of the explanations provided in the existing literature, and, as I will discuss, there are significant patterns in the ways in which prestige interact with gender. In particular, while some of the patterns regarding publication and publication venues capture part of the gender and prestige differences, there is a particular interaction between department prestige and gender that remains significant even when controlling for a number of other factors.

Author

• Diogo Lemieszek Pinheiro, University of North Georgia