The PhD Parenthood Trap: Caught Between Work and Family in Academia

270 Pages·2021·13.93 MB·English

by  Kerry F. Crawford, Leah C. Windsor

The PhD Parenthood Trap
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PhD
The
Parenthood
Trap
Caught between Work
and Family in Academia
KERRY F. CRAWFORD
AND LEAH C. WINDSOR
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PRESS / WASHINGTON, DC
© 2021 Georgetown University Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
The publisher is not responsible for third- party websites or their content. URL links
were active at time of publication.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Crawford, Kerry F., author. | Windsor, Leah C., author.
Title: The PhD parenthood trap : caught between work and family in academia /
Kerry F. Crawford and Leah C. Windsor.
Description: Washington, DC : Georgetown University Press, 2021. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020048525 | ISBN 9781647120665 (hardcover) |
ISBN 9781647120672 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Women college teachers—United States—Social conditions. |
Women in higher education—United States—Social conditions. | Women graduate
students—United States—Social conditions. | Working mothers—United States. |
Work and family—United States. | Work-life balance—United States.
Classification: LCC LB2332.3 .C73 2021 | DDC 378.1/2082—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020048525
♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992 (Permanence of
Paper).
22 21 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 First printing
Printed in the United States of America
Cover design by Erin Kirk
Interior design by BookComp, Inc.
For our children:
Cathryn
Lucca
Lucy
Emilia
Isabella
Without them, this book would have been impossible.
Because of them, it took a very long time to write.
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Contents
List of Figures ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1 Surviving or Thriving in the Academy? Insights from
a Survey on Family Formation and Parenthood 15
2 Thesis Baby: Getting Student Parents the Support They Need 37
3 How to Scale the Ladders while Sidestepping the Chutes:
On Parenting without the Security of Tenure 66
4 The Elusive Work- Life Balance: Daily Challenges
in Academic Parenting 91
5 Doctor, Parent: Recognizing the Range of Experiences 114
6 Sick and Tired: The Physical Toll of Parenthood 138
7 Love, Loss, and Longing: Fertility Struggles, Adoption,
Miscarriage, and Infant and Child Loss 153
8 Express Yourself: Breastfeeding and Lactation in the
Ivory Tower 167
9 Looking Back, Moving Forward: Conversation Starters
for a More Inclusive Academic Environment 192
Survey Questions 223
References 235
List of Vignette Contributors 247
Index 249
About the Authors 257
vii
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Figures
1.1 “If your primary residence is the United States,
which region best describes where you live?” 22
1.2 “What is your current professional employment?” 27
1.3 “What is your institution’s parental/maternity/family
leave policy?” 31
1.4 “What is your department’s parental/maternity/family
leave policy?” 31
1.5 “How has your university and/or department’s parental
leave policy changed over time?” 32
1.6 “What were your professional responsibilities after birth/
adoption/family status change?” 34
ix