Gender differences in rewards for academic performance: the Case of North American environmental sociology

ABSTRACT Although the subfield of environmental sociology within the United States has achieved near-equal gender representation in recent years, little has been done to assess gender equality beyond numerical representation. Using data collected from 401 environmental sociologists’ curricula vitae (CVs), this study investigates gender differences in publishing productivity and associated academic rewards in American environmental sociology. Findings indicate gender differentials in overall publishing productivity, with men producing more articles than women, but no significant gender differences for publication in flagship sociology journals, author-level citation accrual, or first job placement. Findings suggest the American environmental sociology subfield has greater gender balance for some scholarly rewards, but less so for overall publishing productivity. While results indicate improvement in some potential locations of gender inequality, more research is needed to assess other locations and to confirm that gender equity is within reach for the subfield.