Continuity and Change in the Experiences of Three Doctoral Cohorts of Faculty Women. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

This secondary analysis of data, collected between 1987 and 1992 in a study of an elite group of academic scientists who had received prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, sought to assess differences in reported experiences of structural obstacles by cohort. The sample consisted of 23 women: 10 who had earned doctorates before 1970, 7 who had earned their doctorates between 1970 and 1979, and 6 who had earned doctorates in 1980 or after. Secondary analysis of the original questionnaire and interview data suggested differences and similarities among the three cohorts on three dimensions--perceived obstacles, perceived supports, and the compatibility of marriage, family, and career. Women in the earlier cohorts mentioned encountering structural obstacles more frequently than did women in later cohorts, and they almost exclusively pointed to a father or other male as being influential in their career choice. A majority of married women reported that marriage had a positive impact on their careers. The report concludes that birth cohort, rather than doctoral cohort, may be a more valid indicator of differences in attitudes and experiences related to compatibility of family and career. (Contains 10 references.) (CH)