Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures
1 Misperceiving Merit, Excellence, and Devotion in Academic STEM
2 The Cultural Construction of Merit in Academic STEM
3 The Work Devotion Schema and Its Consequences
4 Mismeasuring Merit: The Schema of Scientific Excellence as a Yardstick of Merit
5 Defending the Schema of Scientific Excellence, Defending Inequality
6 The Moralization of Merit: Consequences for Scientists and Science
Acknowledgments
Appendix
Notes
References

About the Author

Mary Blair-Loy is professor of sociology and codirector of the Center for Research on Gender in STEMM at the University of California San Diego. She is the author of Competing Devotions: Career and Family among Women Executives. Erin A. Cech is associate professor of sociology and mechanical engineering (by courtesy) at the University of Michigan. She is the author of The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality.

Reviews

“This well-written, persuasive, and important book analyzes an important paradox: why is an institution focused on merit-based evaluation so unsuccessful at promoting meritocracy? It will be read widely by those studying gender and racial inequalities in higher education and STEM.” 
*Joya Misra, University of Massachusetts Amherst*

“Extremely well-written, and their findings ring painfully true. The authors are very compelling in pointing out the many inconsistencies that otherwise smart people don’t or won’t see. All faculty interested in promoting diversity will engage with this insightful and compelling scholarship.” 
*Cathy Nagler, University of Chicago*

"The meticulous attention to detail and argument these authors show is essential for potentially disrupting the habitual deflections about the objectivity of scientific merit. This book is required reading for academic administrators, leaders of STEM equity programs, and STEM department chairs. Highly recommended."
*Choice*

"This is an important book that deserves attention beyond the context of U.S.-based STEM academia it studies. It is especially impressive for the work it does to substantiate through its empirical research how biased ideas take hold and operate in professional cultures."
*Science and Engineering Ethics*

"Misconceiving Merit is a must-read for researchers, students, and academic administrators interested in transforming STEM professions and institutions of higher education in ways that equitably attract, reward, and retain scientists in academia."
*Social Forces*

"Researchers will likely see their own experiences in the book’s rich descriptions of the priorities and pressures of a competitive academic environment. These descriptions, paired with ample quotes from interviewees, make for compelling reading, painting a portrait of STEM faculty who work all the time, are highly engaged with their work, struggle to balance personal and professional obligations, and feel that they are always behind and never enough."
*Science*