Women in science: career processes and outcomes

Why do so few women choose a career in science - even as they move into medicine and law in ever-greater numbers? This comprehensive study of gender differences in science careers provides a systematic account of how US youths are selected into and out of science education in early life and how social forces affect career outcomes later in the science labour market. The authors explore the extent and causes of gender differences in undergraduate and graduate science education, in scientists' geographic mobility, in research productivity, in promotion rates and earnings, and in the experience of immigrant scientists. They conclude that the gender gap in parenting responsibilities is a critical barrier to the…