That PhD Doesn't Stop the Chores

Female scientists do about twice as many household chores as male scientists, according to a Stanford University study in the current issue of Academe. “Partnered women scientists at places like Stanford University do 54 percent of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry in their households; partnered men scientists do just 28 percent,” write authors Londa Schiebinger and Shannon Gilmartin, who also show that women work the same number of hours, 56, at their paying jobs. In an interesting anecdote, The Chronicle of Higher Education points out that when Carol Greider received her call from Stockholm telling her she’d won the Nobel prize, she was home, folding laundry. The study authors suggest that institutions cover household labor assistance as part of their benefits package. “I think supporting housework is a way universities can guard their investment in these young faculty members,” Schiebinger says in The Chronicle.