Overview
Jerry A. Jacobs has been a member of the faculty in sociology at Penn since 1983, when he completed his Ph.D. in sociology at Harvard. He was on leave during the 2018-2019 academic year as a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University.
Jacobs has served as the Editor of the American Sociological Review and is the Founding President of the Work and Family Researchers Network. His research has addressed a number of aspects of women's employment, including authority, earnings, working conditions, part-time work and work-family conflict, and entry into male-dominated occupations. He has authored or edited 10 books and journal special issues, published 80 academic papers and received more than 30 research grants. Jacobs’ study of interdisciplinary scholarly communication, In Defense of Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity, Specialization and the Research University, published in 2014 by the University of Chicago Press. His other books include The Changing Face of Medicine, with Ann Boulis, (Cornell University Press, 2008), The Time Divide, with Kathleen Gerson (Harvard University Press, 2004), and Revolving Doors: Sex Segregation and Women's Careers (Stanford University Press, 1989). His current projects include a multi-faceted exploration of the future of work, which includes a case study of technological change and elder care. In conjunction with his course on Social Problems and Public Policy, he is making the case for international and global approaches to social issues.
Latest News
Jacobs' special issue "Gender, Work and Family During Turbulent Times" collects 12 original research articles that examine diverse adaptations to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacobs' introduction highlights common themes and outlines a research agenda on the many continuing effects of the COVID-19 episode.
Future of Work News
Jacobs is working on a book on the future of work that will include case studies of blacksmiths and secretaries. During the 2018-2019 academic year, Jerry A. Jacobs was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University. While at CASBS, Jacobs worked on a multi-faceted exploration of the future of work, including a case study of technology and elder care. Two papers in this area appeared during 2019: "Technology-Driven Task Replacement and the Future of Employment" (with Rachel Karen, in Research in the Sociology of Work) and "Technology, Work and Family" (with Arianne Ollier-Malaterre and Nancy Rothbard, in the Annual Review of Sociology). Jacobs' lecture, "Will the Robots Take Care of Grandma?" has been presented at Stanford and a number of other settings, including the Institute for Women's Policy Research. A podcast of Jacobs' lecture can be found by clicking here on the IWPR website.
Work and Family News
Jacobs' latest publication in this area is called "Technology. Work and Family."
Jerry A. Jacobs received the Worklife Legacy Award at the June 2014 meetings of the Work and Family Researchers Network in New York. The Award recognized Jacobs’ scholarly and organizational contributions to the work-family field.
Interdisciplinarity and Journal News
Jacobs has been promoting the idea that sociology journals should clearly display data on acceptance rates and review times on the journal websites. He makes the case for this change in a 2020 essay.
New paper on interdisciplinarity in the biological and biomedical sciences.
Ph.D., Sociology, Harvard University, 1983
A.B. Sociology, Harvard University, 1977
- Technology and the Future of Work
- Aging and Carework
- Work and Family
- Women's Careers
- Disciplines and Interdisciplinarity, including trends in publishing in Sociology
- International Dimensions of Social Problems
/sites/default/files/jj%20boulis%20and%20jacobs%202004.pdfSociology 1 (Introduction to Sociology)
Sociology 2 (Social Problems)
- Sociology 130: Work and Careers in the 21st Century
- Sociology 555/556: Proseminar for First Year Graduate Students in Sociology
- Management 104: Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management (Wharton School, Management Department)
and a new course entitled "Work and Careers in the 21st Century"
He has also taught a number of graduate classes, including the master's and dissertation seminars, and classes on stratification and work
Recent Pieces
- Specialization in Biological Sciences and Biomedical Research
- Specialization in Biological Sciences and Biomedical Research (French version)
- Sociology: It's Practically Constitutional
- Notes on the History of Penn Sociology
- Gender Mobility Paradox (Gender & Society)
- Books vs. Articles in Sociology (Contemporary Sociology)
- Sociological Curiosity (Contexts)
- Gender, Parenting, and the Rise Of Remote Work During the Pandemic (Gender & Society)
- Technology, Work and Family: Digital Cultural Capital and Boundary Management
- Technology-Driven Task Replacement and the Future of Work
- Unpacking Americans' View of the Employment of Mothers and Fathers: Using National Vignette Survey Data. SWS Presidential Address (Gender & Society)
- Digital Parenting Advice (Lauren Harris and Jerry A. Jacobs)
Disciplines, Journals & Citations
- Specialization in Biological Sciences and Biomedical Research
- Author Friendly Journal Websites
- Publishing Metrics Could Improve Wayward Journals
- International Representation in US Social-Science Journals
- Books vs. Articles in Sociology (Contemporary Sociology)
- Global Social Justice Research
- Global Turn in Sociology?
- Journal Rankings in Sociology: Using the H Index with Google Scholar Data (The American Sociologist)
- Interdisciplinarity: A Critical Asssessment (Annual Review of Sociology)
- Interdisciplinary Hype (Chronicle of Higher Education)
- Where Credit is Due: Assessing the Visibility of Gender & Society Articles with Google Scholar
- Interdisciplinarity in Recently Founded Academic Journals
- American Studies: A Case Study of Interdisciplinarity
- Receptivity Curves: Educational Research and the Flow of Ideas: Expanded Version
- The Contribution of Sociology to the Emergence of Applied and Pre-professional College Majors
- The Case for an Activist Editorial Model
Work & Family, Working Time
- The Time Divide
- Overworked Individuals or Overworked Families?
- Do Americans Feel Overworked?
- Who are the Overworked Americans?
- Work and American Families: Diverse Needs, Common Solutions
- The Changing Structure and Culture of Work
- Measuring Time at Work
- Working Time for Married Couples in 28 Countries
- The Faculty Time Divide (Sociological Forum)
- Overworked Faculty
- The Academic Life Course
- Toward a Family-Friendly, Gender-Equitable Work Week
- Detours on the Road to Gender Equality
- The work-home crunch
- The Mobility Patterns of Part-time Workers
- Hours Worked in Dual-Earner Couples in Cross-National Perspective
- Understanding Changes in Working Time: A Synthesis
- Care Deficit Among Stock Brokers
- WFRN: An Organizational and Intellectual Agenda
Gender Segregation
- Revolving Doors
- Gender Mobility Paradox
- Long Term Trends in Occupational Segregation by Sex
- Compensating Differentials and the Male-Female Wage Gap
- Compensating Differentials: Further Evidence
- Women's Entry into Management
- Theoretical and Measurement Issues...
- Evolving Patterns of Sex Segregation
- Explanations of Gender Inequality
- Gender and College Majors
- Male Flight from Computer Work
- Sex Segregation in 56 Countries
- Trends in Workplace Contact Between Men and Women
- Men in Female-Dominated Fields
- Sex Typing of Aspirations and Occupations
- Sex Segregation as a Circulating System
- Gender Segregation of Medical Specialties
- Planning a Career in Engineering
- Sax et. al. Women Engineering Majors
- Sex Segregation -- Prospects for the 21st Century
- Sex Segregation in American Higher Education
- Sex Segregation in Fields of Study
- Introduction to Gender Inequality at Work
- Glass and Jacobs, Religion and Women's Attainment
Gender and Education
- Gender Inequality and Higher Education
- The Faculty Time Divide (Sociological Forum)
- Overworked Faculty
- Sex Segregation in Fields of Study
- Gender and College Majors
- Sex Segregation in American Higher Education
- Gender and the Stratification of Colleges
- Sax et. al. Women Engineering Majors
- Sax et al. Women in Computer Science
- Race and College Selectivity
- Age and College Completion
- Adult Educational Attainment
- Welfare Reform and Enrollment in Postsecondary Education
- Community Colleges: New Environments, New Directions
- Growth of Schooling in 1910
- Variation in Schooling in 1910
Women, Health & Medicine
- The Changing Face of Medicine
- Gender Segregation of Medical Specialties: Glass Ceiling or Glass Slipper?
- The Movement of Physicians Between Specialties
- Physicians' Movement from Specialist to Generalist
- Gender and Physician Practice Patterns
- Medicine as a Family-Friendly Profession?
- Labor Force Participation and Women's Health
- Multiple Roles and Women's Health
Labor Markets, Careers and Career Mobility
- Public Sector Employment in Seven Countries
- Part-time Wage Gap in Four Countries
- Pay Equity in Nonprofit Employment
- Careers in the US Service Economy
- Career Mobility of Engineers
- Gender, Race and Local Labor Markets
- Workplace Training
- Dynamics of Career Aspirations
- Industrial Sector and Career Mobility
- Careers, Industries and Occupations
Intermarriage and Remarriage
- Conjugal Careers
- Intermarriage in Hawaii
- Gender Differences in Intermarriage / 16 Race & Ethnic Groups
- Preserving Multiple Ancestry
Prestige and Esteem
- Gender and the Evaluation of Prestige
- Occupational Prestige: A Sex-Neutral Concept?
- Sex and Consensus in Occupational Prestige
- The Prestige Gap
- Moral Evaluations of Esteem
- English Aristocracy
Open Access Repository Publications
- Journal Rankings in Sociology: Using the H Index with Google Scholar
- Interdisciplinarity in Recently Founded Academic Journals
- American Studies: A Case Study of Interdisciplinarity
- Receptivity Curves: Educational Research and the Flow of Ideas: Expanded Version
- The Contribution of Sociology to the Emergence of Applied and Pre-professional College Majors
The Delmar Hotel and the Catskill Mountains
Journals, Special Issues
- Community, Work and Family: The Work and Family Researchers Network: Agendas and Accomplishments (2013)
- The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science: Mommies and Daddies on the Fast Track: Success of Parents in Demanding Professions (2004)
- The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science: Community Colleges: New Environments, New Directions (2003)
- Work and Occupations: Sex Segregation and Gender Stratification (1992)
The American Sociological Review
- ASR's Greatest Hits
- Further Reflections on ASR's Greatest Hits
- Multiple Methods in ASR
- Comparative and International in ASR
The Academic Job Market in Sociology: The ASA Job Bank
- Jerry A. Jacobs' Webpage
- Work and Family Researchers Network
- Sociologists for Women in Society
- Population Studies Center
Photo credit: Marcus T. Wright
