Professional Socialization and Women Participation in Mathematics

The under-participation of women in the mathematical sciences at the doctoral level is of great concern to the mathematics community in the United States, if not to the nation, and perhaps other nations as well. Based on a study at two mathematics departments in the U.S., this book explains a successful model of departmental policies that enhance professional socialization, ultimately increasing the recruitment and retention of women in the doctoral level. The author discusses U.S. policies on mathematics; intervention measures by U.S. government agencies, mathematics communities and universities; socialization approaches; and theoretical frameworks for understanding the socialization of graduate students. The analyses should be of interest to mathematicians and policymakers who are interested in increasing the participation of women in doctoral level mathematical sciences. The book will be relevant to the sciences and other disciplines; scholars who study diversity in higher education can learn how departmental policies and practices impact the socialization of not only women in graduate mathematics, but of all students.