Andres, do you have any ideas about how we can import that Finlandian model to the U.S.? And how to get more universities and other employers in the U.S. to recognize the need to provide for professional couples? Thanks, David
---- Andres Lopez-Sepulcre <lopezsepul...@gmail.com> wrote: > In my experience, it all depends on the country and how easy funding > agencies, research institutions and governments make it. I have > experience in several countries: Spain, USA, France and Finland. They > each have their good and bad points on that respect. Fore example, > while the USA and Canada tend to be pretty good at opening jobs for > couples, which helps enormously the two-body problem, I find that some > European countries offer better conditions to be a parent. For > example, in Finland and Sweden the government offers paid maternity > and/or paternity leaves of at least 10 months. Since this is a > 'stipend' independent of the scientific fellowship or contract, it > essentially means that if they had 3-years of funding, they now will > have that + 10 months (i.e. the grant or contract 'slides' forward). > Moreover, there are good free or cheap daycare services and even > sometimes, daycare or family-housing in field stations. The conditions > are so good that I have never seen such a high rate of graduate > students pregnant or with children as in those countries... and they > are consequentially doing better than average at keeping women in > science. Of course, many countries (like Spain, my home-country) fail > in all aspects. > > Andres Lopez-Sepulcre > Laboratoire d'Ecologie, UMR 7625 > Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris > alo...@biologie.ens.fr > > http://web.me.com/asepulcre > > > > > > > > > On Apr 11, 2012, at 5:54 PM, Rachel Guy wrote: > > > I've been following the debate Simone Whitecloud inspired concerning > > babies in the field. This brought to mind something I was told when > > I was pursuing my B.S. in Wildlife Ecology: > > > > "You can be a scientist, a spouse or a parent. Two of these things > > you can be simultaneously great at doing, while the third will > > suffer." I'm not sure I entirely agree with this statement, but I > > have seen personal relationships tried by professional obligations > > and professional obligations tried by personal obligations. > > Particularly in a field that often demands long absences and > > irregular hours, I can see how this would particularly be true. > > Though, I have also seen faculty and research scientists with > > families that seem pretty stable and happy. Is there any substance > > to this paradigm, and if so, are there realistic ways in which we > > can change them? I'd love to hear the communities' thoughts on this > > as it is something that I have often reflected on as I've progressed > > through my career. Can we have it all? What are the key differences > > between the ones that are seemingly able to do it and the one's > > where the challenges become too great? > > > > Rachel Guy > > Project Coordinator, Research Assistant > > > > > > -- David McNeely
