Isis H. Settles

The Climate for Women in Academic Science: The Good, the Bad, and the Changeable

Deficits theory posits that women scientists have not yet achieved parity with men scientists because of structural aspects of the scientific environment that provide them with fewer opportunities and more obstacles than men. The current study of 208 faculty women scientists tested this theory by examining the effect of personal negative experiences and perceptions of the workplace climate on job satisfaction, felt influence, and productivity. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that women scientists experiencing more sexual harassment and gender discrimination reported poorer job outcomes. Additionally, perceptions of a generally positive, nonsexist climate, as well as effective leadership, were related to positive job outcomes after controlling for harassment and discrimination. We discuss implications for the retention and career success of women in academic science.

When Multiple Identities Interfere: The Role of Identity Centrality

The current study extends research in the area of identity conflict or interference by focusing on a new identity combination, the woman and scientist identities. In addition, it examines the influence of identity centrality, or importance, as a predictor of interference and moderator of the relation between interference and well-being and science performance. Supporting hypotheses, greater identity interference was related to lower levels of performance and well-being. Furthermore, woman centrality was unrelated to interference for those with a central scientist identity, but for those without a central scientist identity, they were positively related. Although central identities were related to positive outcomes in the absence of interference, the outcomes of all women suffered when interference was high, contrary to the hypothesis. The implications of identity centrality for understanding the negotiation of potentially conflicting identities, and for the retention of women in the sciences, are discussed.

Women and the Social Movements of the 1960s: Activists, Engaged Observers, and Nonparticipants

Many women in the generation that attended college during the 1960s have reported that they were influenced by the social movements of that era, even women who did not participate in them. In addition to political activists, social movements also appear to include “engaged observers”—individuals who are attentive to movement writings and activities, and express moral and even financial support for them, but who take no other action. Although activism in a movement may be the best predictor of future political action, engaged observation may be related to other indicators of political socialization, such as a powerful felt impact of the movement and well-developed political attitudes. Evidence to support this notion is drawn from studies of three samples of college-educated white and black women.

THROUGH THE LENS OF RACE: BLACK AND WHITE WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS OF WOMANHOOD

The intersection of race and gender may create unique experiences for Black and White women in terms of work, family, domestic roles, and interpersonal relationships. Dissimilar gender-role norms may foster different perceptions of gender for these two groups of women. In the current study, we examined similarities and differences in Black and White womens perceptions of their gender using qualitative focus group methodology and grounded theory data analysis. The results identified five themes that were common to Black and White women: Gender-Based Mistreatment, Perceived Advantage, Friendships and Community, Caretaking, and Work and Family Options. One additional theme, Inner Strength, emerged only for Black women. Although many of the broad perceptions of womanhood were similar for Black and White women, analysis of the content within each theme highlighted important differences. We discuss the results in terms of how they may reflect socio-historical factors, gender discrimination, stereotypes, and gender-role norms.

Racial Identity and Depression Among African American Women

This study examines direct, interactive, and indirect effects of racial identity and depression in a sample of 379 African American women. Results indicated that higher racial private and public regard were associated with lower depression. The relationship between private regard and depression was moderated by racial centrality, such that higher private regard was more strongly related to lower depression when womens race was a central part of their self-concept. Finally, results indicated that self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between private regard and depression and partially mediated the relationship between public regard and depression. The authors discuss the results in relation to reflected appraisal, the insulation hypothesis, and identity theory.

Comparing sexual harassment subtypes among black and white women by military rank: double jeopardy, the jezebel, and the cult of true womanhood

Drawing upon feminist analyses of double jeopardy and the cult of true womanhood, we examine race, rank, sexual harassment frequency, and psychological distress for Black and White female military personnel (N = 7,714). Results indicated that White women reported more overall sexual harassment, gender harassment, and crude behavior, whereas Black women reported more unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion; enlisted women reported higher rates of each subtype than officers. Black enlistees reported more sexual coercion than White enlistees, and enlistees reported more than officers, but there were no racial differences across officers. Black women reported more psychological distress following gender harassment than White women, and enlisted women reported more distress following gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion than officers. Although Black officers were less distressed at low levels of sexual coercion, as coercion became more frequent, their distress increased significantly, and at high levels, all groups were similarly distressed.

Bringing the inside out: Enhancing authenticity and positive identity in organizations

A.P. Brief, J.P. Walsh, Series Foreword. Part 1. Introduction. J.E. Dutton, L.M. Roberts, J. Bednar, Positive Identities and Organizations: An Introduction and Invitation. Part 2. Positive Identities and Individuals in Organizations. G.E. Kreiner, M.L. Sheep, Growing Pains and Gains: Framing Identity Dynamics as Opportunities for Identity Growth. S. Maitlis, Who am I Now? Sensemaking and Identity in Posttraumatic Growth. A. Carlsen, T. Pitsis, Experiencing Hope in Organizational Lives. B.B. Caza, M.G. Wilson, Me, Myself, and I: The Benefits of Work-Identity Complexity. N.P. Rothbard, L. Ramarajan, Checking Your Identities at the Door? Positive Relationships Between Non-Work and Work Identities. L.M. Roberts, S.E. Cha, P.F. Hewlin, I.H. Settles, Bringing the Inside Out: Enhancing Authenticity and Positive Identity in Organizations. B.E. Ashforth, Commentary: Positive Identities and the Individual. Part 3. Positive Identities and Relationships in Groups and Organizations. C.D. LeBaron, P. Glenn, M.P. Thompson, Identity Work During Boundary Moments: Managing Positive Identities Through Talk and Embodied Interaction. D.S. DeRue, S.J. Ashford, N.C. Cotton, Assuming the Mantle: Unpacking the Process by Which Individuals Internalize a Leader Identity. B.R. Ragins, Positive Identities in Action: A Model of Mentoring Self-Structures and the Motivation to Mentor. S. Kopelman, L.L. Chen, J. Shoshana, Re-Narrating Positive Relational Identities in Organizations: Self-Narration as a Mechanism for Strategic Emotion Management in Interpersonal Interactions. L.P. Milton, Creating and Sustaining Cooperation in Interdependent Groups: Positive Relational Identities, Identity Confirmation and Cooperative Capacity. L.H. MacPhail, K.S. Roloff, A.C. Edmondson, Collaboration Across Knowledge Boundaries within Diverse Teams: Reciprocal Expertise Affirmation as an Enabling Condition. J. Sanchez-Burks, F. Lee, Commentary: The Elusive Search for a Positive Identity: Grappling with Multiplicity and Conflict. Part 4. Positive Identities and Organizations and Communities. K.G. Corley, S.H. Harrison, Generative Organizational Identity Change: Approaching Organizational Authenticity as a Process. M.G. Pratt, M.S. Kraatz, E. Pluribus Unum: Multiple Identities and the Organizational Self. S.L. Brickson, G. Lemmon, Organizational Identity as a Stakeholder Resource. A. Hamilton, D.A. Gioia, Fostering Sustainability-Focused Organizational Identities. C. Marquis, G.F. Davis, Organization Mechanisms Underlying Positive Community Identity and Reputation. M.A. Glynn, I.J. Walsh, Commentary: Finding the Positive in Positive Organizational Identities. Part 5: Conclusion. L.M. Roberts, J.E. Dutton, J. Bednar, Forging Ahead: Positive Identities and Organizations as a Research Frontier.

Derogation, Discrimination, and (Dis)satisfaction with Jobs in Science: A Gendered Analysis.

In the current study of 353 science and engineering faculty members, we examined whether three types of gender-based mistreatment might “chill” individuals’ perceptions of the professional climate, which might in turn undermine satisfaction with their jobs. We also tested gender differences in these relationships. Results indicated that for women, the relationship between gender discrimination (e.g., unequal access to resources) and job satisfaction was mediated by scholarly alienation and a negative workplace climate; gender derogation (e.g., disparaging comments) was related to organizational sexism toward women (OSTW), which was associated with perceptions of scholarly alienation and a negative workplace climate; these perceptions in turn predicted lower job satisfaction. For men, gender derogation was indirectly related to job satisfaction via scholarly alienation, and OSTW was indirectly related to job satisfaction via both climate variables. Analyses indicated that most of these indirect effects were stronger for women than men. We discuss these results for both sexes and suggest reasons why men’s climate perceptions may be “chilled” by exposure to sexism toward women. We also discuss implications for individuals working with women in male-dominated environments, such as organizational administrators and clinical practitioners.

THE MODERATING ROLES OF RACE AND GENDER‐ROLE ATTITUDES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL‐BEING

Although previous research has linked sexual harassment to negative psychological outcomes, few studies have focused on moderators of these relationships. The present study surveyed Black (n = 88) and White (n = 170) female undergraduates who endorsed experiences of sexual harassment to examine whether traditional gender attitudes differentially moderated the relationship between sexual harassment and three outcomes: posttraumatic stress symptoms, general clinical symptoms, and satisfaction with life. We replicated past findings that sexual harassment is related to negative outcomes. Further, the results supported our hypothesis that less traditional gender attitudes (i.e., more feminist attitudes) would buffer the negative effects of sexual harassment for White women, whereas the same attitudes would exacerbate its negative effects for Black women. We discuss reasons for these differences, including Black womens double consciousness and differences in the meaning of feminist and traditional gender attitudes for Black and White women.

More Than Numbers: Individual and Contextual Factors in How Gender Diversity Affects Women's Well-Being

This study examined factors related to workplace gender diversity in a sample of 87 college-educated White women. Specifically, we investigated the moderating effects of one individual difference variable (sensitivity to sexism) and one contextual variable (perceptions of the workplace climate) in the relationship between the gender composition at the hierarchical level above the woman and her well-being (job satisfaction and general health). Results indicated that more negative well-being was associated with having more women working at the level above when women worked in a perceived negative climate whereas more positive well-being was associated with having more women working at the level above when women worked in a perceived positive climate. For general health, these findings were stronger for women who were also sensitive to sexism. Implications for research on gender diversity in work organizations are discussed.