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Discusses personal experiences as a feminist academic in a women's studies program since the 1970s. Early years out of school were spent as a temporary lecturer with little stability. A tenure-track position in a women's studies program in the Netherlands was viewed as ideal in that it allowed stability but retained a space for open feminist criticism. Although feminist studies is well established in the Netherlands, it is shown that women still face a considerable gender gap at the highest levels. Under conditions of fiscal austerity, this marginalization has meant that these programs are constantly on the verge of being cut. This instability has strained relations between feminist scholars, as more well-known scholars lose close relationships with others & competition drives a wedge between all concerned. Considerable tension also exists concerning the amount of power & manner by which feminist scholars exercise power in their administrative positions. Proposals for making women's studies programs a more secure & hospitable environment are considered. 13 References. D. M. Ryfe

Discusses the social role of the female academic, drawing on personal experience as a white, lesbian working-class scholar. Distant physical separation from the university is but the first boundary between the personal & professional life of this scholar. Other boundaries include those between being a professional social worker & a scholar. In the midst of crossing these boundaries, identity is fragmented along a host of lines, eg, class, sexual orientation, profession, & gender. This fragmented sense of self opens a number of avenues through which to establish relationships with students. Though the reality of multiple identities is configured differently for different women, all feminist scholars must face the reality of the present university context as a social institution beset by cuts in financing, greater regulation of faculty & students, & a more market-oriented atmosphere. 5 References. D. M. Ryfe

Focusing on urban working couples in the People's Republic of China, the chapter considers the significance of workplace location & job shifts for the dynamic interrelation of institutions, family, & stratification. The authors compare state-socialist institutional & labor processes with market systems, attending as well to the effects of more recent economic reforms. Investigation of event-history data assessing spousal traits indicates that complementarity, rather than dependency, characterizes working couples' relationships, with the women's own professional, organizational, & educational concerns the key determinants of job shifts. Nonetheless, spouses tend to have similar organizational & sectoral jobs, & recent economic & organizational changes have not significantly altered the hierarchy of central state control. Finally, because state socialism has fostered women's labor participation, couples largely work in the same sector & job shifts tend to be driven by collective, family-welfare motives rather than by the gender-based asymmetry characteristic of other societies. The authors call for further research as China's economy continues to change & impact the labor force. Also, this study has focused exclusively on urban working couples; the circumstances for their rural counterparts are strikingly different & need to be explored as well. 5 Tables, 4 Figures, 45 References. K. Coddon