Gender and Agricultural Science: Evidence From Two Surveys of Land-Grant Scientists.

AGRICULTURAL scientists; GENDER identity; ATTITUDE (Psychology); AGRICULTURAL sociology; RURAL sociology

ABSTRACT We test two sets of hypotheses concerning the association between gender and various structural and attitudinal variables, using data collected in two surveys (1979 and 1995–1996) from random samples of land-grant agricultural scientists. The first set of hypotheses centers on the expectation that the resources and rewards of agricultural science are distributed unequally by gender. We find significant gender differences in scientists' postdoctoral work experience, academic rank, employment of graduate students, rate of book publication, and links with private industry. Our second set of hypotheses, drawing on the literatures of feminist epistemology and situated knowledge, focuses on the relationship between scientists' gender and perceptions of the goals of agricultural research. Our findings indicate that gender is unimportant in explaining differences in scientists' commitment to agricultural sustainability, environmental issues, and family farm preservation as important goals of land-grant research. Yet we find significant gender differences in attitudes toward biotechnology and the growing links between land-grant universities and private industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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