Gender Patterns of Publication in Top Sociological Journals

Bibliographic Data

ID5337253
AuthorsAliakbar Akbaritabar (0000-0003-3828-1533, German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW), Berlin, Germany, corresponding author), Flaminio Squazzoni (0000-0002-6503-6077, University of Milan)
Year2021
Volume46
Issue3
Pages555-576
Publication date2021-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScience Technology & Human Values (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-2439 • E-ISSN: 1552-8251
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0162243920941588
OpenAlexW3042827525
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited60

This article examines publication patterns over the last seventy years from the American Sociological Review and American Journal of Sociology, the two most prominent journals in sociology. We reconstructed the gender of all published authors and each author's academic pedigree. Results would suggest that these journals published disproportionally more articles by male authors and their coauthors. These gender inequalities persisted even when considering citations and after controlling for the influence of academic affiliation. It would seem that the potentially positive advantage of working in a prestigious, elite sociology department, in terms of better learning environment and reputational signal, for higher publication opportunities only significantly benefits male authors. While our findings do not mean that these journals have biased internal policies or implicit practices, this publication pattern needs to be considered especially regarding the possibility of their "social closure" and isomorphism

Elite · Inequality · Political science · Social science · Sociological research · Sociology · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Law · Social and Cultural Dynamics

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