Narratives of motherhood in science: A collective subject analysis of women researchers in ethnobiology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.25.35.2.1.2472Keywords:
parenting, sexism, perceptionsAbstract
Sexism is one of the main reasons for the difference in professional success between men and women, especially in scientific careers. Motherhood is identified as a key factor in this disparity, as women tend to assume most of the childcare responsibilities, leading to lower scientific production and academic visibility. Ethnobiology gathers some compelling evidence about this disparity in the academic universe. This work sought to deepen previous findings, analyzing the perception of female researchers in the field of ethnobiology who are or want to be mothers. We collected the perception of the conciliation of motherhood and academic life from female ethnobiologists from Brazil and Argentina through an online questionnaire. Four main points were highlighted: 1) difficulties and sacrifices; 2) prejudices; 3) desire for equity, and 4) flexibility and support. We discuss the implications of these inequalities and difficulties in reconciling a scientific career and motherhood for people involved in ecology and related fields.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Flávia R. Santoro, Juliana Loureiro Almeida Campos, Bárbara Arias Toledo
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