I meant to get to this last week, but didn't because I'm lazy. Also, I have a dissertation to write, so cram it. But anyway, Brian Weatherson's tallied up tenure-track hires in the top-30 departments in the US last year. Thirteen junior hires overall. Of those, seven went to women and six when to guys. I've just followed up for the rest of the top-50, where another dozen junior hires were made. Seven guys and five women.
So for the top-50 departments in the US last year, 25 junior people got jobs. Whether you think that's good or bad's got to depend on your perspective. Compared to the bad old days in the 80s and 90s, it's got to look like a pretty good market. But for a grad student with pipedreams of working in a top-50 department someday? One job for every two states in the union doesn't make me feel good.
Unambiguously good news, though, is the near gender parity in junior hires--13 guys to an even dozen women. I'd be surprised if you found that rough parity in departments below the top-50, but these numbers are still encouraging. Maybe someday before I die philosophy won't be such a sausage party.
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So 20% of the grad students are women and 50% of the top jobs go to women. Let's assume that the women and men are equal in quality. That means the men are being discriminated against on a 5 to 2 ratio.
Thanks, BJK. I'm so touched by your concern about the underrepresentation of women in philosophy graduate programs.
Actually, I don't think that's a problem. It's the perfectly understandable result of human diversity, including gender diversity. Until we celebrate and encourage diversity, there will be no justice.
Funny, how "diversity" always seems to exclude women from positions of cultural power and prestige. Just a coincidence that men get the cool stuff, eh?
Can I ask, bjk, where your 20% figure comes from?
Something between 25-30% of the Phds are female. My mistake.
http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/doctoral_2004.html
On your "discrimination against men," bjk, let's have a look at some smart things other people have said:
http://www.mit.edu/~shaslang/papers/HaslangerCICP.pdf
http://philosophyjobmarket.blogspot.com/2007/04/they-are-night-zombies.html
I'm actually not all that depressed by these numbers. After all, these are only jobs at top schools. Quite frankly, I can live without. Would I LIKE To be at a top school? Sure. But, honestly, teaching at a small liberal arts college for the rest of my life isn't unappealing. It's still a pretty good gig to have, pays reasonably well, has decent benefits. Summers off. Holidays off. There's worse lives to be led.
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