Geographic Constraints on Women's Careers in Academia

Male and female academics have very different residence patterns. Women are more concentrated in our largest urban centers; also, wherever they reside, women are less likely than men to change communities when changing institutions. Much of this sex difference is attributable to the constraints under which married academic women must manage their careers, in particular the requirements of two-career households. The authors argue that the status difference between men and women in academia is attributable, in part, to the geographic limitations on the locations of married women, as these prevent making strategic job changes to advance career prospects.