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Reasons for Leaving the Academy: a Case Study on the ‘Opt Out’ Phenomenon among Younger Female Researchers
Author(s) -
Nielsen Mathias Wullum
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
gender, work and organization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.159
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1468-0432
pISSN - 0968-6673
DOI - 10.1111/gwao.12151
Subject(s) - danish , phenomenon , agency (philosophy) , context (archaeology) , perspective (graphical) , sociology , social capital , position (finance) , gender studies , productivity , political science , public relations , demographic economics , social science , economic growth , economics , epistemology , geography , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , finance , artificial intelligence , computer science
This study provides a contemporary case for exploring the assumed ‘opt out’ phenomenon among early‐career female researchers. Based on rich data from a Danish case study, we adopt an integrated, holistic perspective on women's reasons for leaving the academy. We propose the concept of ‘adaptive decision‐making’ as a useful analytical starting point for synthesizing structure‐ and agency‐centred perspectives on academic career choices. Our study provides new insights into the myriad of structural and cultural conditions circumscribing the career ambitions and expectations of younger female (and male) researchers, at a critical transition point epitomized by high demands for scholarly productivity, international mobility and accumulation of social capital. Located within the context of Danish higher education, our study also adds to the current discussion of why academic gender stratifications persist in a country renowned for its leading international position on issues of societal gender equality.