Challenges and Coping Strategies of Research Scholars in Sciences

A Gender Perspective

सार

Throughout the history women’s access to resources including education and career
opportunities have been discriminated on the basis of gender. Household responsibilities
being the woman’s primary goal in life makes her subsidiary and places her at low skilled
and low paid job. Keeping in view the gender beliefs prevailing in the society regarding the
academic and career choices and gender stereotypes regarding women in science, the
present study has been designed to understand the difference in experiences of men and
women pursuing research in the area of science alongwith their motivation and constraints.
Both qualitative and qualitative methods of research have been applied. With the help of
random sampling method 100 research scholars-46 male and 54 female, of Kurukshetra
University, Haryana have been included in the study. Data was collected with the help of
self designed semi structured questionnaire. The findings indicated that despite of receiving
support and encouragement from the families to pursue higher education in science, women
are grappled with burden of disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities causing mental
pressure and barriers in their academic and occupational pursuit.