Case Study: Female-Friendly Policies in the Academe

Abstract

This chapter explores the linkages between gendered public administration and structural inequalities in academia. Changing demographics highlight the importance of family-friendly policies in the workplace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009), labor force participation rates of mother (working full-time and part-time) with children under age 18 increased from 47% in 1975 to 71% in 2007. In comparison, when the age of a child is considered, the labor force participation rates decrease to 64% for mothers with children younger than 6 years of age. The number of women in graduate programs has also increased in recent years. The U.S. Digest of Education Studies reported that in 2007, 63% of graduate students were women (Snyder, 2009). Similarly, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (2008) reported that among the 159 respondents of the 268 Administration institutional members, women represented 53% of the doctoral recipients in the fall semester of 2007.