Early career patterns of men and women in British universities

The early career paths of 436 men and 162 women who took up lectureships in British universities in English, modern languages, or psychology in 1971–1973 were identified. Proportionately fewer women (61 percent) than men (80 percent) held a full-time post in a British university ten years after their initial appointment. Among those retaining a university appointment, relatively fewer women (8 percent) than men (18 percent) had advanced to the level of senior lecturer, reader, or professor. Factors that may have served to restrict the career development of women in British universities are discussed. There now is a higher proportion of women than in the past in the pool of graduates who are qualified for academic posts. However, the end to university growth makes it unlikely that the sex ratio of academics will shift substantially in the 1980s or the 1990s. Since promotion has become more competitive than it was in the past, the current sex ratio at senior levels of appointment may also remain relatively unchanged.This study was supported by funding under the Australian Research Grants Scheme. Unless stated otherwise, the university statistics cited in this article were derived from the analyses published annually by the Department of Science and Education. I am grateful to Sandra Lancaster for her assistance in data analysis.