Lab Life Drives Scientists to Long for More Children
- Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:00am by
Liz Klimas
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A recently released study indicates that life in the lab is limiting life at home for both male and female scientists. Nearly half of the women and a quarter of men working at top research universities in the United States say they wish they had more children.
What’s stopped them? A career.
“In short, academic science careers are tough on family life because of the long hours and the pressure of publishing and grant-getting needed to get tenure,” study co-author from Rice University Elaine Howard Ecklund said as reported by Science Daily.
A survey conducted by Rice University and Southern Methodist University was taken by 2,500 scientists at more than 30 research universities. While more women reported having fewer children because of their career choice (45.4 percent of women compared to 24.5 percent of men), women reported being more satisfied with life than their male counterparts. Having less children seemed to have more of an effect on men.
As they get older, women are more likely to leave careers in science to have a family. If they don't, they report having less children than they wanted. (Photo: Association for Women in Science)
Joan Herbers, president of the Association for Women in Science and former dean of biological science and now professor at Ohio State University, said to The Blaze that she was unsurprised by the study’s findings.
“Women have always been underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers,” Herbers said. “Part of this is because women start dropping off during their post-doc years to have families before they have been the field long enough to apply for faculty positions.”
The study confirmed this sentiment with 29 percent of graduate student women saying they worried a science career would hamper family life, compared to 7 percent of men.
Herbers’ response to the higher satisfaction reported by women: “It could be they just think the sacrifices are worth it.”
The study’s authors were surprised to find that women did not report working fewer hours than men. Herbers said this is probably because women just work different hours.
“Instead of working 7 to 5,” Herbers said. “Women will work 9 to 5 and then 8 to 10 to accommodate their lifestyle.”
Herbers says the number one thing — and number two and three things — that academia can do to promote better family life for those in STEM disciples is increase availability of high-quality, on-site child care. And there needs to be enough of it. She noted that while her university has on-site childcare, there is a long waiting list.
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Gypsy123
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:15amDoes this mean there will be less smart people? Maybe that is what is wrong with the whitehouse.
Report Post »Chrono_Sleuth
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:04amBeing intelligent does not automatically mean intelligent children. Many of the most intelligent people on earth were born to “dumb-dumb” parents. There are far more factors that go into what determines intelligence than a simple 1+1 = 2.
Nope, we will always have smart children somewhere. Just hope the education system doesn’t ruin them, or their parent aren’t inept fools before they have a chance to make it in the world.
Report Post »Fiona333
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 12:47amI work in a medical laboratory and I have enough children – three – thank you very much.
Report Post »Rdaddy
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 6:48pmHey do an illegal act with someone and be charged with accessory to the crime. Knowingly marry an illegal person it is o.k. ? This never has worked for me in my mind. Let’s stop being driven by fear and or guilt. Arrest the amigo and deport him period
Report Post »Centralsville
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 5:20pmMy wife, my children and my grandchildren are everything to me. I tell my children to have as many children as they want and not to listen to other people. Our society frowns on children, especially white children. Because of modern feminism in Western Culture white children are quickly becoming a smaller and smaller minority on the globe. My last thoughts before I die will be of my family and my God. I hear all the time and my children hear how much more stuff they can have if they don’t have children. My last thoughts won’t be of the stuff I am leaving behind, it will hurt saying goodbye to my family.
Report Post »DrSandman
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 7:38pmMy kids mean the world to me as well! That is why we are no longer lab scientists in a university setting. It is not conducive to having kids — especially if both parents are scientists.
Report Post »hillbillyinny
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:25pm“Less children” should really be worded “fewer children” in this context! I don‘t think the content explained that the scientists’ children were “less of a child,“ rather that they had ”few number of children” then they desired later in their life.
Besides, I believe we are “supposed” to be fairly young (in our twenties/early thirties) when we have our children, otherwise it is almost impossible to “keep up” with toddlers into later teens! Early children can “help” with the children born later in the child-bearing part of life. The Duggers come to mind. . . blessings from God!
Report Post »jkendal
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:19amLab life would probably drive me to drink.
Report Post »affinnity
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:16amIf theses women want children they should have children – it’s called adapting to your situation. If scientists are as brilliant and superior as they claim to be they should be able to figure this out.
Report Post »DrSandman
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 1:50pmNot an academic, are you?
The lovely DrWife and myself were on the fast-track to tenured university profs in the STEM fields. When we finally sat down to examine the time required — 7 years to PhD, 2 years in first postdoc, 2 years in 2nd postdoc, 6 years in a tenure-track position — before one FINALLY has a permanent job and some security, we would be 39 & 40, having gone straight to PhD school from undergrad.
The risk of Down’s Syndrome (etc) and the female fertility rate is horrible at that point, and makes it unlikely to get the two kids we wanted.
If you think that you can just have kids during grad school, you are sadly delusional. I was a slacker — especially compared to most of my classmates — and I would get home from the lab @ 4am, then have to go back to the school to teach my section at 8:30am.
We each went without sleep 2 days a week for 7 years, and got 4 hours of sleep the other 5 days. We got no vacation, health insurance, pensions, savings, or retirement.
We each got a $12,000 stipend, out of which we had to pay tuition and rent and food. Work conditions were hazardous. (Radiation in my wife’s lab, open vats of mercury in mine.)
Exactly HOW is that conducive to a stable, loving environment to raise a kid?
Report Post »neener63
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:58amI’ve been in the lab since graduating college in 86- spent all my childbearing years on a lab bench, if you will. I’ve seen countless women come and go. I’ve never seen a man cut short his career for children. I have come to the conclusion that men in research can more easily have both because they already have a wife at home. WOMEN who want both, though- that’s a completely different situation. And it has nothing to do with the actual pregnancy.
BTW, I’m still on a lab bench. Still keeping insane hours. And it IS hard on family life. If you don’t have a spouse who can deal with it, you’re in trouble.
Report Post »Arc
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 5:18amLet’s see now, gotta make sure this is right.
In order to make sure that all who enter the STEM field are comfy and can work longer hours, the government or other academic institution, should furnish day care for all professors and research personnel.
This would allow them the luxury to have more children just to bring them to a state sponsored day care, in order for the professors and other anal ysts to work longer hours ( still not see their children ) yet all those hours are spent writing papers ( getting published ) so they can get more GRANTS to study why Washington can’t produce a budget, then balance it.
Did I ever tell you the one about the dog chasing its tail, catching it, yet still CLUELESS as what to do with it??
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:57amMegansmom is 100% correct its about choices. We make the choice we live withe results
Report Post »mutslie
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:49amh’mmmm…. ‘has barry the HYBRED turd prez’ gone on holiday yet? with his ‘first negress wife, whilst young Americans are walking around in Afganistan & Iraq wondering’ IF their next step will be their last?
I worry about that’…eh’ my problem I suppose………..THNIK
VOTE 2012 AMERICA…………………………..(think)
Report Post »Dr Vel
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:30amDiane TX, I think you are saying your mate should be the most important person in your life, beyond career or any other considerations other than the Lord. Which is as it should be. You sound like a sweetheart I hope the Lord provides you with the companionship all us us need in life.
Report Post »Dr Vel
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:34amSucks you cannot preview or edit posts, us us = of us!
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:27amMy ex-husband (many reasons) and I, only had one child. Seems it wasn’t permissible, according to his mother, since she only had one child. Yes, he was quite the mama’s boy. His mother really didn‘t understand why I wouldn’t obey her every command like her son did.
She died in her early sixties. My ex-husband never understood that I was supposed to be more important than his mother. After she died, he became confused without mommy telling him what to do. He became a crack addict in his late forties. He destroyed his entire life, and drug dealers, lawyers, and the Federal Government are all looking for him.
He had a heart attack last month, with 70% blockage. He doesn’t have any health insurance or any way to pay for an angioplasty. We were millionaires when we were married.
Report Post »skiziks20453
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:36ambummer, was there a point?
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:56am@ skiziks20453
Obviously, you’re not smart enough to get it. I‘m so sorry that you weren’t born with smarts.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:33am@ Diane TX
Report Post »I am really sorry for your ex failing to understand the essentials of marriage and that he was/is so emotionally crippled. Tragic situation. Why did you snipe at skiziks20453, though? I can’t see how your story relates to the Blaze story either — and I was a National Merit Scholar and MENSA eligible.
GadsdenPatriot
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:52amCome on guys, she’s lamenting her failed wish to have had more children with her ex. That is how it relates to the story. That leaves only this one question: Diane, are you implying that you’re a scientist?
Report Post »affinnity
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:20amI think what she is saying is that many times limiting your family size limits your support group and success potential.
Report Post »GadsdenPatriot
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:25amIf lab life makes one prone to wanting to have children then how much more mentally damaged must liberal “scientists” be to want to kill babies?
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:17amGood question. One that may take many more lab hours and research grants in order to find an answer.
Report Post »GadsdenPatriot
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:30amNo need. They suffer from a well known mental disease called liberalitis. The cure was on TV the other day called, Spenditol. But like nearly all drugs it’s made their problems worse and now they have a new addiction to boot.
Report Post »affinnity
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:24amIt does seem a little weird that what they deny to others they personally desire. I guess depopulation isn‘t as much fun when it’s your own baby.
Report Post »megansmom
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:12amAll I can say is life is about choices.
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:59amAgree
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