Perceptions of Undergraduate University Students about Working Conditions of Women Academic Staff

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Perceptions of Undergraduate University Students about Working Conditions of Women Academic Staff

Journal Title: Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi - Year 2013, Vol 3, Issue 2

Abstract

Women constitute nearly 41%of academic staff in our country. Among all academic staff, the ratio of female academicians is increasing as it is approached to rural areas from suburbs. This study aims to reveal the perceptions of undergraduate education students about female academicians’ working life conditions. Considering available time and facilities, the universe of research was limited within a university; as it was primarily intended to reveal students’ individual perceptions on the conditions of women academics, the students’ being at the undergraduate level was at the fore front of study rather than the academic departments of the university. The survey data form were applied to 157 female and 104 male undergraduate students (N = 261) studying at faculties and schools of the university where the survey was applied excluding freshmen classes.. Descriptive tests were used to evaluate the data. The findings were evaluated by x ² test, which were formerly tested according to the desires of students on what to get on their education and whether they were willing to be academicians. 54%of female students involved in the research stated that they were “partially” satisfied with the female academics. While 74,3%of the students agreed on the question “Should women work as academicians?”, only 2.2%percent stated that women should not work as academicians. 47,8%consider that there is a partial discrimination between the male and female members of academic life. 47,1%mentioned that working as an academician was a barrier to being a good mother or a good wife and 69,7%stated that working as a female academician was a tough work. 23,7%of the students think that being an academician is mostly beneficial in terms of personal development for a woman. 79,6%stated that the biggest challenge for female academics is to sustain the academic studies as well as being a mother and a wife. The best advantage of being female academician was revealed as one’s prestige over her husband, family and within the social circles. As a result of the findings, it can be concluded that students are usually aware of the problems about the conditions of female academicians, and they have developed some sensitivity to the issue.

Authors and Affiliations

Hatice YALÇIN, Murat DEMİREKİN

Keywords

EP ID EP151664
DOI 10.5961/jhes.2013.072
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