Differences in the Parents of Male and Female History Faculty

According to the 1998-1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF), men and women do not come from the same types of households. Male history faculty were slightly more likely than female history faculty to have been raised in a home where the father held a doctorate. By contrast, female history faculty were more than twice as likely than their male counterparts to have been raised in a home where the mother had earned a doctorate. The data that appears below was limited to individuals who, as of the late 1990s, had earned a doctorate in history and whose principal field of teaching was history.

Highest education level of father:

Male History Faculty
1) Doctorate/first-professional degree: 17.2%
2) Master's degree: 12.7%
3) Bachelor's degree: 17.0%
4) Associate's degree or less: 53.2%

Female History Faculty
1) Doctorate/first-professional degree: 15.0%
2) Master's degree: 21.1%
3) Bachelor's degree: 19.8%
4) Associate's degree or less: 44.1%

Highest education level of mother:

Male History Faculty
1) Doctorate/first-professional degree: 1.9%
2) Master's degree: 11.6%
3) Bachelor's degree: 18.2%
4) Associate's degree or less: 68.4%

Female History Faculty
1) Doctorate/first-professional degree: 4.5%
2) Master's degree: 13.2%
3) Bachelor's degree: 21.2%
4) Associate's degree or less: 61.2%

One other interesting pattern in this data caught my attention. On average, men who earned a doctorate in history were more likely to have fathers and mothers who had earned an associate's degree or less than their female counterparts.

I think we need more research into these patterns. They may shed light on why women remain underrepresented in history doctoral programs and among history faculty.