Gender and career advancement in the sciences: a Thai case study
This thesis is aimed to exploring a gender difference in scientific careers by presenting empirical evidence from Thailand, and also at evaluating the impact of different types of organisation: higher education and research institute sectors on gender and academic career progress. In order to understand gender dimensions in Thai academic careers, a multilevel analysis (Layder, 1993) is employed as a guide. With the pragmatic paradigm, the strength of this research has drawn both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In comparison to the developed world, Thailand, a country with relatively low competency in science has progressive numeric indices of the status of women in science. However, the findings of this study highlight the existence of a gender gap in rewards. Particularly, female academics in Thai higher education were found worse than their counterparts in the research institute sector as a result of certain organisational characteristics. This study reveals that Thai women in science remain under threat at different levels: constraints of the national scientific policy which focuses on engineering; Thai scientific organisational norms in favour of men; women’s limitations in social connections; and gendered roles which compel women to put family before career. On top of that, though Thai women perceive gender inequality in academic careers, they tend to disregard it. In order to eliminate gender disparities, Thai female academics need to raise their professional status through a range of activities: achieving privileged academic qualifications; joining each other through formal networks; adopting a male working style; deploying a conflict avoidance strategy; relying on rules and regulations; being single; and drawing on support from family and colleagues. However, it is noteworthy that some of these strategies seem to hinder women’ssuccess in science as well. Overall, the findings support the argument that although Thai female academics may try to devise strategies to survive in their careers, the success of such attempts often depends on structural norms which generate opportunities for them.
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