Fitting the Mold of Graduate School: A Qualitative Study of Socialization in Doctoral Education
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Fitting the Mold of Graduate School: A Qualitative Study of Socialization in Doctoral Education Susan K. Gardner
Published online: 11 March 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008
Abstract Doctoral student attrition in the United States has reached alarming proportions, with reported rates of approximately 50% across disciplines (Nettles and Millett 2006). Attrition rates of underrepresented populations have been reported at higher rates across disciplines (Council of Graduate Schools 2004), pointing to a disparate experience for these students. Socialization has been shown to be a determining factor in doctoral student success and retention (Turner and Thompson 1993) while not necessarily reflecting how the socialization experience differs by disciplinary and institutional contexts. Through this qualitative study I sought to understand the effects of the socialization process upon doctoral student success and retention in the disciplines of chemistry and history at two institutions. Results highlighted a disparate experience for women, students of color, students with families, part-time students, and older students. Suggestions for policy, practice, and further research are included. Key words socialization . doctoral education . underrepresented populations Sylvia is tired. Now a fourth-year chemistry doctoral student at Land-Grant University, Sylvia is not only working full-time on her research; she is also married and is expecting her third child any day now—all three of whom she has had while in graduate school. During our interview, she sighs, and tells me her impressions of graduate school so far: I guess what continues to surprise me is how hard it is, and why I can’t figure out why it’s so hard. I think I’ve just determined that it’s just emotionally taxing for some reason, and part of it is that everyday you’re trying to defend yourself, and I don’t think it’s very good for self-esteem, personally. Sylvia has also had a rocky relationship with her advisor throughout her program. I am surprised to hear that her advisor is a woman, also with children, when she tells me about Susan K. Gardner received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Washington State University and is currently Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Maine in Orono. Her research interests include doctoral education, student development, and issues of social justice in higher education. She can be reached at [email protected]. S. K. Gardner (*) University of Maine in Orono, Orono, USA e-mail: [email protected]
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Innov High Educ (2008) 33:125–138
her advisor’s seemingly unrealistic expectations of her time in the lab. She tells me about her 20-hour-per-week assistantship and remarks, “I came to find out that they really expect you to be working 60 to 70 hours a week...[my advisor] told me that 40 hours a week only warranted half pay.” Considering the multiple demands on her time and energy, it is probably not surprising that Sylvia has considered leaving graduate school more than once. S
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