Where We Belong? Gender and Class in the Careers of Working-Class Sociologists

• In Event: 40820 - Section on Sociology of Sex and Gender Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Gender and Work

Abstract

A substantial and still-growing literature examines various forms of stratification in the pathways into and through professional academia. To date, the primary foci have been race/ethnicity and gender, with a growing recent focus on class. However, intersectional examinations remain rare. Here we focus on gender and class background in shaping the trajectories and experiences of sociologists from first-generation, low-income, and/or working-class backgrounds. Using in-depth interviews with 140 faculty and graduate students of varied gender identities, we focus on the ways that gender and class shape perceived meanings of work, expectations of care from family, and modes of self expression We find that while there are many overlaps among interviewees rooted in class, gender also plays an important role in shaping these interviewees’ expectations, what is expected of them by family, and how they are perceived by colleagues.

Authors

• Elizabeth M. Lee, Saint Joseph's University

• Allison L. Hurst, Oregon State University

• José A. Muñoz, California State Univ-San Bernardino