Women's Studies academic job market

[speedracer05]

Does anyone have information on the way the academic job market has been playing out for folks in Women's Studies? I'm a graduate student (Master's) considering a field-change from English literature to Women's Studies for a PhD program, and I wanted to gather some preliminary thoughts. I'd also be interested in anyone's experience with Women's

Comments

[lostreality]

I'm a sociology phd with a specialty in women/gender studies, on the job market. I've been applying to a few women studies jobs- there are a small amount, and a couple of postdocs, but there are also not that many people with phds in women's studies.

there is a wiki about the job market here, that has most of the straight up women's studies jobs I've seen, if you can do a joint phd with sociology or english or something (or at least take a lot of electives in those departments) that might also broaden your job market: http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Women%27s_studies_area_studies

[daddysambiguity]

I agree with your last bit. In my MA program, my chair always said that doing a doctorate in sociology with an emphasis on WGS was probably more marketable than a WS PhD alone. It's so much broader.

[andystarr]

You want an honest answer

[knut_hamson]

Since she has an English background her adviser told her to seek out English positions but even that has been difficult.

I love this sentence.

[andystarr]

Why?

[knut_hamson]

It seems to presuppose that getting a job in English shouldn't be that difficult.

[owl_of_minerva]

Have you checked out the WMST-L email list? That might be a good place to gather information. They also have useful archives -- I feel like the job market question comes up with some regularity on the list, though I could be misremembering.

[feministyogini]

I'm about to graduate with a WMST PhD. Insofar as academic jobs, my program has a very good record. Almost all PhD grads have TT jobs within 5 years of finishing. Many do the adjunct circuit for a few years; some lucky folks get postdocs (as 2 of my recently finished friends have). I'm in Canada though so things might be different for us here.

Sadly, there have been 4? WMST TT jobs posted this year. I've been told the next job round will be bad but it will pick up after that. We'll see.

As for non-academic jobs, a lot of WMST PhD folks will do gov't research or work in social services. I think gaining experience in these fields *while* you are a student helps your chances afterwards.

[feministyogini]

I should also say - and thank goodness for this - that increasingly WMST jobs are requiring WMST degrees. If you go into English and specialize in WMST, it won't be seen as fitting as earning a WMST degree. So, if you want to work *in* WMST afterwards, it's something to consider.

[indigo_black]

I am in a WS PhD program and know that graduates have gone on to non-academic jobs. One is now one of the leading authorities in the state on family and domestic violence. (I think she heads up this commission on this but I could be wrong. Either way, it's a great job, and she got it because her research was related to the field.) Other grads have gone on to tenure track jobs in women's studies or other interdisciplinary fields, or postdocs. My program requires all students to have a concentration in a disciplinary field of their choice. I am doing two, one in English and one in film as my dissertation includes both. Also, I was advised it would make me more marketable to both WS programs and other interdisciplinary departments. I probably don't have enough film background to get hired by a film department, but I could teach film classes within WS, become affiliated faculty with film departments, cross-list classes, etc. all of which make me a bit more marketable than if I didn't have a disciplinary specialization. (This is the theory