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Career goals, challenges and resources for women in atmospheric sciences

Date

2010

Authors

Lessner, Lauren M., author
MacPhee, David, advisor
Canetto, Silvia Sara, advisor
Banning, James, committee member
Cook, Alicia, committee member

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Abstract

Women are underrepresented in education and careers in the geosciences. One of the many obstacles to women’s greater participation in the sciences in general is that they disproportionately shoulder family responsibilities. It is not clear, however, if multiple role involvements are what prevent women from getting ahead in the geosciences. Among the geosciences, atmospheric sciences have received minimal research attention despite the growth in the field. The few available studies on women in atmospheric sciences focus on women in academia. A critical time for career decision making is graduate school. To fill this gap in the literature, this study focused on women in atmospheric sciences who are in graduate school or a recent graduate. Because knowledge about this population and the issues they face is so limited, the present study used a qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews with 12 female atmospheric science graduate students and recent graduates were conducted and coded via interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to identify challenges and resources related to education, career, partnership and parenthood. This study found that at the time of graduate school, women in atmospheric science: (1) felt social expectations and pressures to prioritize family, (2) experienced challenges pursuing their career goals in conjunction their partner’s career, (3) often viewed career and parenting roles as conflicting or incompatible, (4) benefited from exposure to role-models who balanced these domains, (5) were positively influenced by supportive partners, and (6) desired flexibility in career and family paths. The narratives shared by women in atmospheric sciences at graduate school time underscore how family and career expectations interact to challenge and support women’s persistence in atmospheric sciences.

Description

Covers not scanned.
Print version deaccessioned 2022.

Rights Access

Subject

Meteorologists
Women scientists

Citation

Associated Publications