Cory King

Dean's 3 Year Honors Program

"Life for both sexes--and I looked at them, shouldering their way along the pavement--is arduous, difficult, a perpetual struggle. It calls for gigantic courage and strength. More than anything, perhaps, creatures of illusion as we are, it calls for confidence in oneself." -Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Interest

My initial interest that led to this study arose in reflection about Claudette Wilson, a professor here at Pepperdine. I had a broad range of possible topics: women's issues, education, the church. However, nothing sparked my interest until I began to think about Dr. Wilson. Such a fascinating individual, she profiles all my interests in some form or another. She serves as mother, wife, educator, minister, peer, and mentor; not uncommon for a woman today. Or is it. At first thought, most every woman I know plays multiple roles as wife, teacher, minister, mother, worker, servant, and friend. The past decade has been filled with seminars and lectures on working women. My own mother hit the Christian lecture circuit speaking on "Women of Many Hats." And yet, even at a selective Christian Liberal Arts University like Pepperdine, I could only think of a handful of other female professors who were members of the church. Suddenly, my study began to take shape.

Why are there so few Christian, particularly church of Christ, female professors? Is it because so few of them have achieved advanced or terminal degrees? If so, why have so few women achieved terminal degrees? Is it related to their faith, their church, their support systems? Is it because the time and conditions of terminal degree programs are not conducive to raising a family? Is it because the women have been discouraged by peers, mentors, or family? It just did not make sense and yet it was a fact that I had never noticed before, let alone questioned.

The female professors at Pepperdine are usually equally if not more respected than many of their male peers. They receive tremendous evaluations, their classes are as challenging as any offered. I began to grow frustrated with my newly discovered statistics. Here, at a University that is 60% female, there is a staff that is 76 % male. Of the 24 % that is female, only one is a member of the church of Christ that holds a terminal degree. Pepperdine prides itself on the close student-teacher relationships that develop, and many students do look to their professors as mentors and advisors as well as friends and confidants. However, with a 12 to 1 student-teacher ratio, and a 4 to 1 male-female professor ratio, there is a dearth of female role models for dozens of young women. I for one felt cheated. I wondered if the young women at the other Christian colleges were facing the same frustrations.

Even with my frustrations, I felt a greater question remained. Dr. Wilson was here. She had achieved a terminal degree. She had remained an active member in the church. She had raised three beautiful, faithful daughters. She had done something that very few others had managed to do and I wanted to know how. I wanted to know why. I wanted to know if there were others. I wanted to know if she had any idea why more had not. I had a host of questions for her about her particular circumstances and if she felt they were in any way responsible for the path she had chosen. I knew that she had followed a path that I planned to follow; however, I had never considered it an unworn path. Now, I sought insight into the rugged future and challenges that awaited me.

Claudette, and those within relatively similar circumstances, were educational pioneers: trailblazers who shucked the odds, donned their armor, and blazed a trail of courage and determination into previously unexplored, or at least undeveloped, territory. I still wanted to know how. I still wanted to know why. I wanted to know what had motivated and sustained them, what had caused or allowed them to do something that so very few others had done and have done. I wanted to know how the church had affected them during this process, or how they perceived the church's affect during this time. Further, I was curious as to what advice they would give to me, a woman in the church of Christ interested in pursuing a doctorate.

Whether or not my study was oriented towards women's issues, church history, or any host of other related topics, I knew my questions and decided to let my findings determine my direction and field of research.

In choosing my approach for the research I wanted to conduct, I combined several different qualitative methods of analysis. "Qualitative" research studies qualities by rigorous methodologies that provide understanding as a result, defined in contrast to quantitative research which uses measurement and quantitative data in its results (Cronbach). Using "disciplined inquiry" to guide my research I set about to inform rather than compartmentalize or objectify.

Disciplined inquiry as defined by educator Lee Cronbach is, " . . . a sufficiently systematic gathering of data as to be reasonably assured of being fair," (Cronbach 268). This type of inquiry is more concerned with "meaning" than "truth," though it intends to be as truthful as possible. Through this type of inquiry the personality and personal interest of the researcher is able to shine through the research. (Coulston) The shared "meaning" is more valuable than the standardized methods.

In addition, I shaped my study around several methods of inquiry developed by Elliot Eisner including phenomenological inquiry and an artistic approach to qualitative research. Phenomenological inquiry is the study of a situation through the eyes of the participants ( Eisner 274). In this instance, the study was through the eyes of my "educational pioneers." This inquiry discovers pervasive widely held meanings and attempts to recognize and articulate common patterns. Methods often include interviews, autobiographic activities, guided self-reflection, and questionnaires (Eisner 5ff.)

Similar to this approach is Eisner's concept of connoisseurship, by which the evaluator, as connoisseur, observes the qualities in a situation and perceives their value. It is the connoisseur's finely developed eye that provides the content of the research (Eisner). Eisner describes the responsibilities of the connoisseur as description, interpretation, and finally appraisal. This description is intended to provide the reader with a visual picture of the situation, as this fledgling connoisseur has perceived it, to enable a reader to enter a connoisseur's experience of a particular situation.

Eisner's artistic approach is very similar to Cronbach's concept of "disciplined inquiry" in its pursuit of meaning. Eisner defines his artistic approach in contrast to the scientific approach in which "truth" is sought. Eisner implies that the "meaning" brought to the research by the individuals is more valuable than whether the details are precisely true. Further, the researcher's artfulness decides what findings are most significant and meaningful and should be included in the reporting.

In selecting what to include in the report of my findings, I based my decisions on an understanding of qualitative, artistic, disciplined methods of inquiry. Thus, to a great extent I was the instrument for this type of inquiry. I was the connoisseur, the artist with the enlightened, educated eye describing, interpreting, and appraising what I perceived. I recognize my personal influence on the entire process. The results are no more objective than they have to be. As I stated in my original cover letter to each of the women, the purpose of my study is to profile the women who fit this unique category, to see what has motivated and sustained them, and further to see how the church has affected them in their completion of this task. This purpose still remains. I intend to profile what I have found, and report my impressions of what appears to have been their motivation and sustenance. I do not and will not attempt to conjecture as to why these have been sustaining factors, or even the extent to which they have been shaped by their relationship with the church. Rather, I will inform the reader of what information I have received and perceived.

Procedure

I decided that I needed to define my parameters for my study. I was interested in profiling the women who had grown up as essentially first generation baby boomers. I set my parameters at women born between 1940 and 1954. Further, I knew that I was interested in women who had achieved terminal degrees but realized I had too broad a field to get an accurate sampling. I limited my study to women who had achieved terminal degrees, particularly a Ph.D. and were working at Christian colleges. I contacted the Academic vice-presidents and Dean's of several Christian colleges and requested a list of their female faculty who fit these parameters. I then sent a cover letter and questionnaire to each of these women along with a self-addressed stamped envelope (Appendix A). It was difficult to decide exactly what to include on the questionnaire. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted the study to shape itself and was thus hesitant to ask leading questions or suggest an agenda. I stated my goals to profile the women who fit this unique category and further to find out what motivated and sustained them during their pursuit of a terminal degree. I left the questions very broad and open-ended in a desire to elicit the most meaningful and truthful responses. Upon receipt of the questionnaires I tabulated minimal statistics, but more importantly and more interestingly engulfed myself in the lengthy responses each of the women had written. I looked for trends, similarities, differences, and even further questions that arose. Once I felt I had developed my "second set" of questions, I conducted four personal interviews over the telephone in efforts to further articulate what factors had contributed to each individual's pursuit of a terminal degree.

Hypothesis

As I was previously unaware that this was a small population, I had no idea what I would discover. When I set out to find the population I would work with, I suspected that I would find hundreds of women who fit the parameters of my study. In my small home congregation of 200, I could think of at least five women who had achieved terminal degrees, one being my aunt and the other my mother. I had grown up surrounded by women professors, and professionals. They were commonplace to me and I naturally assumed it was the same elsewhere. I presumed that even if I limited my parameters to those women currently employed at Christian colleges, I would find dozens, despite the fact that I could think of so few at Pepperdine. I was very uncertain about what I would discover about them. Similarities and differences, patterns and trends, circumstances and talents; I had no idea what to expect. I presumed that socioeconomic backgrounds would have played a fairly significant role in their decision to pursue a terminal degree, whether it be in the fact that they had sufficient financial means to afford such a program, or the desire to better their financial situation. I presumed that many of them would have been single with no children, providing them with fewer obstacles in completing full-time degree programs. I presumed that most of them had been met with strong resistance and even rejection from their church communities in their desire to pursue a terminal degree. I presumed that they would all be highly motivated, self-confident trailblazers that had shucked the odds, and plunged ahead. I recognize that many of my presuppositions were shaped by my upbringing in a highly academic community, a fairly liberal church of Christ congregation, further one with many strong-willed female role models. I imagined each of the women as the wild brazen feminist archetype- the warrior princess; complete with spear and breastplate, forging new trails and annihilating everything in her path. She was mighty and strong, wise and cunning, weathered and jaded, bruised and scarred. Yet, she had overcome. I saw her standing triumphant on a hill, like Liberty Leading the People, wrapped in a tattered flag of women's rights and equality. I began to feel their plight, their struggle, I was angry for them. The awful cynicism they must have faced, the jeering, the rejection. I could not wait to hear about their struggles, their misery, then strive to join their fight. And yet, I soon found that the warrior princess I had imagined turned out to be more of a Dr. Quinn medicine woman, a Ruth, a Naomi; a noble woman of character and virtue, serving God and man as a confident yet humble servant.

Findings

The response that I received was tremendous. I received over sixty completed surveys, many with typed letters of encouragement, thoughtful responses, and added brochures and awards the women had received. For reporting purposes, I took my figures from the first fifty responses I received. I have only included statistics that were of relevance or interest to me. Of these 50 women, 21 achieved a terminal degree within 10 years after they graduated from college, 6 achieved their degree between 10 and 20 years after college, and 23 achieved their degree more than 20 years after they had graduated from college. Of these 50 women, 37 were married, and 13 were always single or currently single. Of the 33 women with children, 17 of these women achieved their terminal degree while they still had children at home, 7 waited to have children until after their degree, and 9 completed their degree after their children had left home. In responding to the question regarding the most influential person in their decision to pursue a terminal degree, 14 listed a teacher or peer, 11 listed their husband, 9 listed their mother, and 8 listed themselves. These are the only statistics that really interested me. I thought it was very interesting that most women had chosen to pursue their degree immediately after college or for some reason or another waited more than 20 years before returning to complete their degree. I also find it fascinating that 78% of the women surveyed were married at one time or another, with over 20% listing their husband as the most influential person in their decision. I found it interesting that 37 of the respondents had been born in Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, or Alabama.

Surprises

The most interesting finding in my study surfaced during my preliminary research. In my attempts to locate these women at their respective Christian colleges, I was astounded by the distribution of the full-time female faculty who fit the parameters of my study. First, I must mention that I found sheer joy in telephoning the colleges and requesting their list of qualifying faculty. The school's employees I spoke with were fascinated with the study, and were anxious about the preliminary numbers at each college. They all solicited information regarding the lists from their "sister schools." "How many does Lipscomb have? And what about Abilene?" It was like contestants backstage checking each other's resumes. But, I digress. Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, boasted the largest list with twenty four women who fit my parameters. Abilene Christian in Abilene, Texas, ran a close second with twenty two women. David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, came in third with fourteen women. Where's Pepperdine? I was wondering the same thing. Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts, Pepperdine's former sister college, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was next with seven women. Soon to follow was Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas, with six women; then Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, with four women. Cascade College, a satellite campus of Oklahoma Christian, in Portland, Oregon had three women as did Freed Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. And finally, the moment of truth. Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, currently has the same number as Ohio Valley College in Parkersburg, West Virginia: one, Dr. Claudette Wilson. I was dumbfounded, and frustrated at the same time. It is no secret that Pepperdine University holds the reputation for being by far the most liberal of the church of Christ schools. Particularly in regard to women, Pepperdine is often rumored at the verge of complete sacrilege with the freedoms and authority they give to women, both on campus and within the church community. I wanted to call up all of the church members from home who had warned me about going away to that "crazy school of liberals in California" and report my findings. Wouldn't they be surprised?! Several faculty, staff, and members of the church here at Pepperdine have offered explanations for the small numbers, many of which relate to geographic distribution of the churches of Christ; however, this fact seems much more enjoyable to me without explanation.

Impressions

While I do not seek to be overly objective, I would like to comment on the impressions that I have gathered about these women through the questionnaires and personal interviews. Many of my impressions are quite contradictory to my original hypothesis.

I originally presumed that socioeconomic backgrounds would have played a significant role in each woman's decision to pursue a terminal degree; however, only three of the fifty women listed financial stability as a motivation or influence in their decision.

I presumed many of the women would be single, and that many of the women would not have children whom I saw as a potential liability in terms of time and energy available to give to a full-time program. However, such a large number of the women were married with children that it appeared this was somehow a relevant factor . It was my impression that for those women who had children, their family was an important motivating factor in the sense that they wanted to be able to better provide for them as well as the fact that their family was a strong support system and source of encouragement for them. Many of the women acknowledged their children's support of their decision and the positive affect this had on their motivation. Further, I sensed that the enormous responsibility that comes with having a family was so great that it forced these women to become more organized, more diligent, more task oriented, more aggressive, and more efficient. With the errands, duties, chores, responsibilities, and challenges that accompany family life, each of the women appeared to be excellent jugglers. Further, I believe that the strong support they described from their husbands gave them the courage to take on more responsibility and more risks, knowing they had at least one person who would support them at all costs.

In regard to when the terminal degrees were achieved, I found it interesting that the largest percentage of women completed their degree either immediately after college, or not until more than twenty years later. I think this is probably due to the responsibilities of family life. The women either committed to the decision immediately, or , due to circumstance or other outside factors, waited until it was feasible which ended up being after a great length of time. These outside factors could have been financial means, children at home, or even lack of interest. Several women mentioned that they never even considered pursuing a terminal degree until someone else mentioned it to them, encouraged them, or even required them in order to maintain their employment. Whatever the reason, very few women came back mid stream to complete their degrees. They either dove in at the start or waited until their other responsibilities had settled.

All of the women listed at least one person who had been influential in their decision to pursue the degree. The largest response listed a teacher or peer as the most influential while many others listed their husbands and mothers. The teachers or peers listed were always described as role-models, or people the women respected and admired. They listed pride and desire to please as some of their motivating factors. However, when describing the influence of their husbands and mothers, the women described the intimate relationship they had with the individual and how the verbal encouragement was their motivation to excel.

Many of the church scholars I have talked with have tried to explain the geographic distribution of the women in relation to the overall distribution of the churches of Christ. They argue that during the early 1900's when everyone was moving West, they brought with them their religious traditions and beliefs. Then, upon arrival, they set about to preserve and protect these traditions. What they failed to realize was the church they were attempting to preserve was changing along a natural progression back in the South and Midwest. The result was Western churches of Christ were more conservative and fundamentalist than the churches in the "Bible Belt." Thus, during the 1960's when many of the women would have been making their career decisions, they would probably have received more encouragement in their decision if they lived in the South or Midwest. I believe this could have been a factor; at the same time, I think the concentrated distribution is probably more closely related to the fact that the Christian schools surveyed are for the most part in the South and Midwest.

The discussion on the role of the church leads to another impression I gathered. My initial interest in this topic supposed that the largest factor in the women's decisions to pursue terminal degrees would have been the attitude of the church. However, almost all of the women said the church was neither a positive nor negative factor in their decision. They mentioned whether or not the church supported them in their decision, however, they rarely mentioned the church as an influence or factor. As one woman stated, "I'm sorry, but what does being a member of the church of Christ have to do with a terminal degree?" This was surprising to me as I presumed the church would have been one of the most if not the most influential factor in their decision. Several women mentioned the frustrating dichotomy of being criticized or labeled at school for being the most conservative in their graduate program, and then criticized or labeled at church for being so liberal. Yet, even with the frustrations many of the women probably faced, they did not list the church as an influential factor.

Perhaps most interesting to me is what I would consider the profile of these women. Yes, they all have a great deal in common. These women are all pioneers, simply for the fact that they are members of a very small population. They are all self-confident and proud of their accomplishments. They all showed determination and perseverance, diligence and persistence. They all made sacrifices along the way in everything from time with family to lack of sleep. They are all self-motivated and driven. They all appear to maintain a healthy balance of responsibility, work, and play. A perfect example is the woman who wrote, "My prayer from the beginning of my coursework was that I would remain balanced in my life. I wanted my family life and my relationship with my husband to stay strong, I wanted to serve the church faithfully . . . and I wanted to stay healthy by being sure I exercised consistently." Most importantly, each of these women accomplished something that very few others from their generation and background did.

I expected these women to be warriors and magicians, heroically charging through their programs with skill and ease. I expected them to be my brazen archetypes, fighting upstream against conservative narrow-mindedness. I was mistaken. No spears here. They aren't even magicians, just skillful jugglers. These women were homemakers with traditional values and priorities. They set goals, committed to achieve them, and did not stop until they had, even if it meant plodding along and crawling at times. They knew they were part of a race, and that the steady diligent runners always reach their destination.

Advice

The most enjoyable part of the study for me was reading the advice the women offered. First, I would like to mention that 33 of the 50 women used the exact phrase "Go for it!" as the opening of their advice. The women commented on everything from family values and childrearing to faith and a personal relationship with God. The most common responses were in regard to family life. Many women discussed the difficulties of completing a degree with children at home. They encouraged to me complete my degree before I started a family or wait until my children were grown. They emphasized that my family should always come before school. However, they offered that family and school are still compatible, just very challenging. They also emphasized the dedication and perseverance a terminal degree requires. They advised me not to be discouraged, but understand that times will get better and in the end I'll be amazed at what I've come through. They were very clear about the rewards that come with a terminal degree in terms of esteem, respect, and opportunities. Surprisingly, many of them also mentioned the disadvantages and challenges of being a woman in a professional setting; the lack of respect, fewer opportunities for promotion, and smaller rewards. However, none of them mentioned these as factors when describing their influences on their decision. Many of them emphasized the importance of setting proper priorities. One woman wrote, "As far as advice is concerned to a young woman today, I would still say God, marriage, family, and career should come in that order of priority. If you can get a doctorate and not sacrifice those first three, go for it. If it jeopardizes them, wait for a better time." They were all also insistent on the importance of keeping an active role in the church. Several suggested teaching a young Sunday school class as a refreshing respite from the world of academia. Many asserted the importance of keeping focused on God, and allowing him to lead you in the direction he wants you to follow. They emphasized the importance of exercise and having several close friends to relieve the stresses and anxieties of studies. Above all, the women were encouraging in my decision to pursue a terminal degree. My favorite response was from a woman who wrote, "Call me if you ever get discouraged. I can be a great cheerleader!"

Personal Response

This study has been an incredible journey for me. As I began to receive the completed questionnaires in the mail, my excitement grew daily. I had no idea I would be so interested and so involved in my topic. As my project progressed, I felt like my support system did as well. I felt like I was building a network of resources and support. The women were so supportive it felt like I was joining a union, a coalition of sorts. I can't imagine men offering the same encouragement to one another, certainly not as in depth. I felt embraced by their affection and encouragement. They gave it generously. Their responses lent me energy and impetus.

Most importantly I have learned from these women. While it seemed they all received external support from a web of family and friends, their primary source of motivation was internal. The women were not competitive or cynical nor did they emphasize the prestige and clout of achieving a degree; rather, they focused on the intrinsic rewards and personal fulfillment that comes from hard work, determination, and believing in oneself. I felt that one response in particular articulated most succinctly what I had learned from these women: "We get many 'mixed messages' as Christian women. We are to be models as women, wives, mothers, and in our vocation. We are still to be the 'keepers of our homes.' I don't think that we are looked down upon in the church because of our education. Rather, we are often called upon based upon whatever 'expertise' we may have developed. I know that I feel a real burden to write, lecture, and interact with other young women . . . sharing what I have been privileged to learn. I look forward to those opportunities."

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lee Cronbach and Patrick Suppes, eds., Research for Tomorrow's Schools: Disciplined Inquiry for Education. (London: The MacMillan Company, 1969), 268.

Elliot Eisner, Educational Imagination, (New York, NY: MacMillan, 1979),

Elliot Eisner, Learning and Teaching The Ways of Knowing, (Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1985), 274-276).

Elliot Eisner, "On the Differences Between Scientific and Artistic Approaches to Qualitative Research" in Educational Researcher (April, 1981), 5ff.

Virginia Woolf. A Room of One's Own. (USA: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1929), 35.