4/6/2006 1

Are Sociologists Different? Findings from Social Science PhDs- 5+ Year Out: A National Study of PhDs in Six Social

Science Fields

Panel: Satisfaction with work in Sociology

Are Sociologists Different? Findings from Social Science PhDs- 5+ Year Out: A National Study of PhDs in Six Social

Science Fields

Panel: Satisfaction with work in Sociology

Emory MorrisonMaresi Nerad

Elizabeth Rudd

University of Washington, Seattle, Graduate School College of Education

American Sociological Association 2008 Annual Meeting, Boston , MA August 4, 2008

Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education

Source: CIRGE, University of Washington, ASA 2008 Annual Meeting, August 4, 2008 2

1. PhDs—Ten Years Later [1997]• 5,864 PhDs from 1983-1985 cohort: 66% response rate • Bio-Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering,

English, Mathematics, Political Science• 61 doctoral granting institutions

2. PhDs in Art History—Over a Decade Later [2002]• 792 PhDs from 1985- 1991 cohort: 70% response rate• All 54 doctoral programs

3. Social Science PhDs—Five+ Years Out [2006]• 8,716 PhDs from 1995-1999 cohort: 45% response rate• Anthropology, Communication, Geography, History, Political

Science, Sociology• 65 doctoral granting institutions

CIRGE National PhD Career Path and Program

Evaluation Studies

3

Sociology in Comparison

1. Do career outcomes of sociology PhDs differ from those of other social science fields?

2. How well does sociology prepare doctoral students for fulfilling careers that make use of their graduate education?

3. Is there a gender difference in career outcome? If so, how can we explain it?

• Experience in graduate school• Marital and parental status

4

Social Science PhDs—Five+ Years Ford Foundation Funded

Survey Sample N (% women)

Anthropology 432 (56.5)Communication 343 (52.2)Geography 164 (32.3)History 839 (43.4)Political Science 701 (35.9)Sociology 546 (59.2)

Total 3025 (46.8)

5

Social Sciences PhDs 5+ Years OutJob Types at Survey

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Anth Comm Geog Hist Poli Sci Soc

Business

Gov't

Non-profit

Acad. Other

NTT

Ten track

Tenured

6

Job SatisfactionRatings of Intrinsic Job Dimensions

Sociology vs other 5 SS Fields

0

25

50

75

100S

oci

olo

gy

5 S

SF

ield

s

So

cio

log

y

5 S

SF

ield

s

So

cio

log

y

5 S

SF

ield

s

So

cio

log

y

5 S

SF

ield

s

So

cio

log

y

5 S

SF

ield

s

So

cio

log

y

5 S

SF

ield

s

IntellectualChallenge of

Work

Autonomy ofWork

Level ofResponsibility

Contributionto Society

Use ofDoctoral

Education

Fit WithAbilities

andInterests

Per

cen

t

Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied

7

Career Trajectory Years from PhD Completion to Stable Employment

Sample with Professorial Career Goal (78%): Sociology vs other 5 SS Fields

0

0.25

0.5

0.75

1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Years From PhD

Cu

mu

lati

ve P

rop

ort

ion

To Stable Emp. (5 SS Fields) To Stable Emp. (Sociology)

To Ladder Faculty (5 SS Fields) To Ladder Faculty (Sociology)

8

Question 2

• How well does sociology prepare doctoral students for fulfilling careers that make use of their graduate education?

9

Importance of Skill at Current Job versus Quality of Training* in this Skill during PhD Studies

Academic Research Skills: Sociology

0

25

50

75

100

Thinking critically Analyzing/synthesizing data Writing/publishing reports Research design Writing proposals forfunding

Per

cen

t

Very Important Excellent Quality

10

Importance of Skill at Current Job versus Quality of Training* in this Skill during PhD Studies

Transferable Skills: Sociology

0

25

50

75

100

Presentationskills

Working w/diversity

Working ininterdisciplinary

context

Workingcollaboratively

Managingpeople/budgets

Per

cen

t

Very Important Excellent Quality

11

Question 3

Is there a gender difference in career outcome? If so, how can we explain it?

• Experience in graduate school• Marital and parental status

12

Employment Outcomes by Gender at ½, 2, 4, and 6 Year post-PhD: Sociology vs. 5 SS Fields

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100M

en

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Me

n

Wo

me

n

Sociology 5 SSFields

Sociology 5 SSFields

Sociology 5 SSFields

Sociology 5 SSFields

6 months 2 years 4 years 6 years

Pe

rce

nt

Ladder Faculty Stable Secure Non-Ladder

13

Sociology Faculty: Prestige* of Institutions of Employment by Gender

*Measure derived from U.S. News and World Report Data, 2005

14

Sociologists Likelihood of Rating Quality of Training “Excellent” or being “Very Satisfied” with Mentoring

by Gender (Based on Ordinal Logistic Regression Controlling for 12 Individual-level Traits)

38.9%

74.9%

40.8%

53.7%

25.3%

78.1%

33.4%

45.2%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Writing andPublishing Reports

and Articles

Thinking Critically Socializing StudentsInto an Academic

Community

Overall Mentoring

Men Women

15

Marital Status and Education of Spouse/Partner at Time of PhD: Sociology vs.

5 SS Fields

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Men Women Men Women

Sociology . 5 SS Fields

Married/Partnered -- Spouse PhD JD MD MBA

Married/Partnered -- Spouse MA or Less

Single

16

Likelihood of Being Ladder Faculty at 2 Years Post-PhD by Gender, Marital, and Parental Status

Sociology (Model With 12 Controls)

0

25

50

75

100

No Child Fathers No Child Mothers

Men Women

Single

Married/Partnered -- Spouse MA or Less

Married/Partnered -- Spouse PhD JD MD MBA

17

Sociologists’ Likelihood of Being “Very Satisfied” with “Fit of Job With Abilities and Interests” by Gender and Evaluation of

Quality of Training in Publishing Based on Ordinal Logistic Regression Controlling for 15 Individual Level Traits

39.3%

49.3%

59.3%

48.0%

58.1%

67.5%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Poor Adequate Excellent

Training in Writing for Publication

Men Women

4/6/2006 18

CIRGE website

http://www.cirge.washington.edu

Thank you!

4/6/2006 Source: CIRGE, University of Washington, ASA 2008 Annual Meeting, August 4, 2008 19

Career Goal at PhD Completion and % Tenured or Tenure-Track 5+ Years Later

(1)

% Wanted to Be Professor

(2)

% Tenured + TT of (1)

(3)

%Tenured+T-T of All PhDs

N of All PhDs

Anthropology 72 64 52 (407)

Communication 75 84 71 (319)

Geography 65 74 53 (155)

History 84 76 66 (789)

Political Sc. 76 80 66 (674)

Sociology 75 78 63 (521)

Source: CIRGE, University of Washington, ASA 2008 Annual Meeting, August 4, 2008 20

The Context PhD Careers – Gender & Family- Program Evaluation

1. “We . . . conclude that students’, professors’, and mentors’ lack of accurate, timely, and accessible data on employment trends, careers and sources of student support is a serious flaw in our education system.” (COSEPUP, 1995. page vi)

2. “Marriage and family are the most important factors differentiating the labor force participation of male and female scientists and engineers.” (From Scarcity to Visibility, 2001. page 4)

3. The NRC doctoral program evaluations include “flawed measures of educational quality.” (page 1) “Universities should track career the career outcomes of PhD recipients both directly upon program completion and at least 5-7 years following degree completion.” (page 34) (Committee to Examine the Methodology to Assess Research Doctoral Programs, 2003)

21

Percent Agree that Item Is a Crucial Consideration in Decision to Pursue a PhD

0

25

50

75

100

Best O

ptio

n at

Tim

e

Unable

to F

ind

Wor

k

It W

as a

Nec

essa

ry C

rede

ntial

Caree

r Opp

ortu

nitie

s In

Field

Desire

to H

ave

Impa

ct In

the

Field

New D

evel

opm

ents

--Exc

item

ent

Inte

nse

Inte

rest

in F

ield

For T

he C

halle

nge

(Own

Sake)

Encou

rage

men

t Fro

m F

amily

and

...

Encou

rage

men

t fro

m U

ngra

duat

e...

Sociology All Other Fields

22

Geographic Mobility of Respondents and Spouses for Career Reasons by Educational Level of Spouse:

Sociology

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Moved ForSpouse

SpouseMoved For

Respondent

Moved ForSpouse

SpouseMoved For

Respondent

Ever Partnered . Ever Partnered With PhDSpouse

Pe

rce

nt

Men Women

Source: CIRGE, University of Washington, ASA 2008 Annual Meeting, August 4, 2008 23

Sociology Respondents

Women 59.2%

Minority 10.0%

U.S. Citizen/Permanent Res. 95.5%

Younger than 30 Yrs. at PhD 22.5%

Older than 40 Yrs. at PhD 21.9%

Married/Partnered at PhD 68.8%

Married/Partnered at Survey 76.1%

Parent at PhD 28.3%

Parent at Survey 63.6%

NRC (1995) Program Faculty Scholarly Reputation > 4 (“Strong”)

33.0%

NRC (1995) Program Faculty Scholarly Reputation < 3 (“Good”)

41.8%•