Perceptions of Sex Discrimination Among Female University Faculty and Staff

Abstract

Sixty faculty and staff women at a mid-sized university were surveyed to determine the extent to which they perceived sex discrimination. Faculty women perceived sex discrimination more than did staff women and were less likely to believe that academia was a meritocracy. Differences in perception of sex discrimination were also found based upon the gender composition of the departments. Women in departments that were male-dominated were less likely to perceive sex discrimination and more accepting of the meritocracy notion than were women in departments that were not male-dominated.