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The Consequences for Women in the Academic Profession of the Widespread Use of Fixed Term Contracts
Author(s) -
Bryson Colin
Publication year - 2004
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/j.1468-0432.2004.00228.x
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , term (time) , preference , bridge (graph theory) , demographic economics , sociology , labour economics , psychology , public relations , economics , political science , economic growth , medicine , microeconomics , physics , quantum mechanics
Women have been disadvantaged within the academic profession due to its gendered nature. Some commentators have alleged that temporary contracts may create opportunities for women and that women exhibit a stronger preference for such contracts than men. Over recent years, there has been a sharp rise in the proportion of academic staff employed on fixed term contracts in UK universities. This article examines whether the consequence of this has been to create a bridge for women, leading into and upwards within the profession, or a trap. Drawing on new empirical evidence gathered from academic staff, the conclusions are that segregation is decreasing slowly, but not because of fixed term contracts, and that fixed term contracts create traps and profound disadvantages for both sexes. Women are slightly disadvantaged by forms of patronage that operate to permit some fixed term staff to gain more secure posts. Moreover, relative to men, these professional women neither gain nor perceive any comparative benefits from fixed term contracts as opposed to open‐ended contracts.