Skip to content Skip to search

Republish This Story

* Please read before republishing *

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which require that you credit The 19th and retain our pixel. See our full guidelines for more information.

To republish, simply copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to The 19th. Have questions? Please email [email protected].

— The Editors

Loading...

Modal Gallery

/
Sign up for our newsletter

Menu

  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Search
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships
    • From the Collection

      Changing Child Care

      Illustration of a woman feeding a baby a bottle
      • 1 in 4 parents report being fired for work interruptions due to child care breakdowns

        Chabeli Carrazana · February 2
      • Washington, D.C., offers financial relief to local child care workers

        Orion Rummler · September 20
      • As climate change worsens hurricane season in Louisiana, doulas are ensuring parents can safely feed their babies

        Jessica Kutz · May 5
    • From the Collection

      Next-Gen GOP

      Illustration of a woman riding an elephant
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • A banner year for Republican women

        Amanda Becker · November 11
      • Republican women could double representation in the U.S. House

        Amanda Becker · November 4
    • From the Collection

      On The Rise

      Illustration of three women marching
      • Can Cheri Beasley build a winning coalition in North Carolina?

        Candice Norwood · October 11
      • Los Angeles has never elected a woman mayor. Karen Bass hopes to change that.

        Nadra Nittle · September 8
      • Judge J. Michelle Childs is confirmed to D.C. appeals court

        Candice Norwood · July 20
    • From the Collection

      Pandemic Within a Pandemic

      Illustration of four people marching for Black Lives Matter with coronavirus as the backdrop
      • Some LGBTQ+ people worry that the COVID-19 vaccine will affect HIV medication. It won’t.

        Orion Rummler · November 23
      • Why are more men dying from COVID? It’s a complicated story of nature vs. nurture, researchers say

        Mariel Padilla · September 22
      • Few incarcerated women were released during COVID. The ones who remain have struggled.

        Candice Norwood · August 17
    • From the Collection

      Portraits of a Pandemic

      Illustration of a woman wearing a mask and holding up the coronavirus
      • For family caregivers, COVID is a mental health crisis in the making

        Shefali Luthra · October 8
      • A new database tracks COVID-19’s effects on sex and gender

        Shefali Luthra · September 15
      • Pregnant in a pandemic: The 'perfect storm for a crisis'

        Shefali Luthra · August 25
    • From the Collection

      The 19th Explains

      People walking from many articles to one article where they can get the context they need on an issue.
      • The 19th Explains: What we know about Brittney Griner’s case and what it took to get her home

        Candice Norwood, Katherine Gilyard · December 8
      • The 19th Explains: Why the Respect for Marriage Act doesn’t codify same-sex marriage rights

        Kate Sosin · December 8
      • The 19th Explains: Why baby formula is still hard to find months after the shortage

        Mariel Padilla · December 1
    • From the Collection

      The Electability Myth

      Illustration of three women speaking at podiums
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • Stepping in after tragedy: How political wives became widow lawmakers

        Mariel Padilla · May 24
      • Do term limits help women candidates? New York could be a new testing ground

        Barbara Rodriguez · January 11
    • From the Collection

      The Impact of Aging

      A number of older people walking down a path of information.
      • From ballroom dancing to bloodshed, the older AAPI community grapples with gun control

        Nadra Nittle, Mariel Padilla · January 27
      • 'I'm planning on working until the day I die': Older women voters are worried about the future

        Mariel Padilla · June 3
      • Climate change is forcing care workers to act as first responders

        Jessica Kutz · May 31
    • From the Collection

      Voting Rights

      A series of hands reaching for ballots.
      • Connecticut voters approved early voting. Here’s how their new secretary of state wants to make it happen.

        Barbara Rodriguez · February 13
      • Women lawmakers in Minnesota are in the vanguard of the democracy movement

        Barbara Rodriguez · February 3
      • Election workers believe in our system — and want everyone else to, too

        Barbara Rodriguez, Jennifer Gerson · November 8

    View all collections

  • Explore by Topic

    • 19th Polling
    • Abortion
    • Business & Economy
    • Caregiving
    • Coronavirus
    • Education
    • Election 2020
    • Election 2022
    • Election 2024
    • Environment & Climate
    • Health
    • Immigration
    • Inside The 19th
    • Justice
    • LGBTQ+
    • Military
    • Politics
    • Press Release
    • Race
    • Sports
    • Technology

    View All Topics

Home
  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Search
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships

We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Read our story.

The 19th News(letter)

News from reporters who represent you and your communities.

Please check your email to confirm your subscription!

Submitting...

Uh-oh! Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Become a member

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

A close-up photo of Jill Biden.
(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

‘I’ve had to fight to be taken seriously’: Women with Ph.Ds respond to Dr. Jill Biden column

For women in academia, the Wall Street Journal op-ed about the future first lady’s title struck a nerve.

By

Shefali Luthra, Mariel Padilla, Barbara Rodriguez

Published

2020-12-14 18:07
6:07
December 14, 2020
pm

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

Help us empower women and all those underrepresented in American media. Join The 19th.

Editor’s note: The 19th largely uses the AP Stylebook, which only uses “doctor” for people with doctoral degrees within medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. In this piece, we have decided to use the title for anyone holding a Ph.D.

When Dr. Glenna Matthews saw an opinion piece arguing that Dr. Jill Biden should drop her title, it brought back a flood of memories for the 82-year-old.

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal published a column by Joseph Epstein, who took issue with the fact that the future first lady — who earned two master’s degrees and one doctoral degree in education — uses a title that he believes should be reserved for medical doctors. Epstein, who began the piece by referring to Biden as “kiddo,” said that Biden’s usage of doctor felt “fraudulent” and “comic.”  

Matthews called the op-ed “infuriating.” She earned a doctorate in American history from Stanford University in the 1970s, which she said had never had a tenured woman on the history faculty. Matthews said when she got her first job at Oklahoma State University, she was the only woman working in the history department and the only woman in a tenure track position within the school of social sciences.

Still, during her decades teaching history, she dealt with rude male students who did not address her as Dr. Matthews. She also faced challenges when attempting to access research materials at public facilities, which she wonders if she would have faced as a man.

“I’ve had to fight to be taken seriously,” said Matthews, who completed her studies while balancing research and her kids’ Little League games and doctor’s appointments.

The opinion piece prompted immediate rebuke from other women in academia, a field that is already fraught for women. Though women earn more doctorate degrees than men, a smaller percentage of them are tenured professors.

Dr. Rachael Robnett, a psychology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studies women’s experiences with sexism in academia, particularly in science-related fields. She understands why the op-ed sparked a reaction among women: Empirical research shows women have their credentials questioned in ways that men do not and are taking on a greater load with child care and family responsibilities during the pandemic.

“I think that the piece would have struck a nerve no matter what, but on top of the pandemic and on top of other things that are going on in society, it might be striking even more of a nerve,” she said.

Dr. Zyer Beaty, 28, graduated this past May from the University of Georgia with a doctorate in counselor education and supervision. But as she acclimates to her new title following a virtual graduation, Beaty said she doesn’t usually correct people at work when they call her “Ms. Beaty” instead of “Dr. Beaty.”

“Sometimes it’s hard for me to identify as a doctor,” Beaty said. “People don’t always respect the work that you do or understand the work that you do.”

Beaty — who worked full-time as a high school counselor while working toward the degree for four years — was the first member of her family to earn a Ph.D. The op-ed reflected a sentiment that Beaty said she has heard time and time again: She doesn’t belong.

Whether it’s because of her gender, race or age, Beaty, who is Black, said it was hard to know why she felt like she needed to constantly validate her work and expertise. At the same time, people are trying to “make light of” pursuing higher education as more and more Black people and women earn master’s and doctorate degrees, she added.

“I do think the men that I’ve encountered will correct people and make it known that they hold doctorate degrees,” Beaty said. “Women don’t feel like they can ask for certain things or deserve certain things.”

Robnett said it’s not surprising that some women face imposter syndrome.

“From an early age, girls are socialized to downplay their accomplishments,” she said. “They receive backlash that boys do not receive when they talk about themselves with pride and when they talk about their accomplishments.”

Dr. Natalie Jackson, 36, the director of research at the Public Religion Research Institute, called the op-ed “insulting” and “uninformed.” 

“Basically anyone who is not traditionally male has faced problems with having their expertise recognized — regardless of education level,” said Jackson, who received a doctorate in political science from the University of Oklahoma in 2011. 

Dr. Cheryl J. Fish, a professor in New York City with a Ph.D in English, said the last lines of the op-ed, in which the author implied Biden should be grateful to be first lady, upset her the most.

“It’s about keeping women in their place and not acknowledging the hard work they’ve done and the success they’ve had and the achievements,” she said. “It’s this kind of intimidation or fear of powerful women, whatever form the power takes.”

The article highlighted all the ways that women in academia deal with additional challenges in teaching and doctoral research, Fish said. Decades into teaching, some of Fish’s students still won’t use the title she earned. 

“Maybe it’s not on their radar really to think about, ‘Well, this person had a long training and had to do all this research and is a well-published writer,’” she said. “Maybe some of them don’t have that perspective of what was involved for some of their professors.” 

Fish — who has taught her courses at Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY virtually since the beginning of the pandemic — said she has long been interested in Biden’s trajectory, especially her plans to continue teaching once her husband is in the White House. She looks forward to Biden elevating the role of educator into policy.

“She’s an English professor at a community college, which is what I am,” Fish said. “She’d have similar students that I have, she’d be concerned about helping people from communities of color and people who have had less access to education. She’d be interested in how we can help them and how we can make more opportunities.” 

Biden, for her part, responded to the op-ed in a tweet on Sunday: “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.”

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

The 19th News(letter)

News from reporters who represent you and your communities.

Please check your email to confirm your subscription!

Submitting...

Uh-oh! Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Become a member

Up Next

Kim Ng becomes the MLB’s first female general manager

In her new role with the Miami Marlins, Ng is now the highest-ranking woman and Asian American in American baseball.

Read the Story

The 19th
The 19th is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Our stories are free to republish in accordance with these guidelines.

  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • Search
  • Jobs
  • Fellowships
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Community Guidelines
  • Membership
  • Membership FAQ
  • Major Gifts
  • Sponsorship
  • Privacy
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram