Women's academic career in the context of family life

Abstract

This study is an attempt to present the relationship between the academic career and family life, with particular emphasis on the situations and choices of women scholars in the context of family life (mainly performing the parental role). Results of available studies on how family duties affect researchers’ careers, and how the professional lives of women embracing academic research and being successful professionally, influence, among others, their fertility, have been presented in it. It is on their basis, and based on literature studies, observations from the author’s academic life, and accounts of other academics, that a thesis was proposed that women’s academic career is pursued at the expense of family life and, especially, performing the parental role. Indeed, we are increasingly dealing not so much with the postponement of the decision on procreation, but rather with its rejection mainly by women attaining professional success, and such are female researchers.