Many studies have been done concerning the classroom climate, particularly in the university setting. It has been found that the classroom climate for women is one that is cold, unreceptive, unwelcoming, and even hostile to women. This chilly reception is endured by female undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors. The author believes that the difficult classroom climate also extends to female graduate teaching assistants/instructors. The author contends that this chilly climate may be chillier and more hostile for them, since graduate teaching assistants/instructors do not have the status associated with a doctoral degree. This concept is the basis for what the author has covered in her investigation of the college classroom.

"It's Cold and Lonely at the Middle is thoroughly accessible. Undergraduate students who are considering pursuing academic careers will benefit from reading it." - Feminist Collections: A Quarterly Of Women's Studies Resources

"It's Cold and Lonely at the Middle is an interesting book that draws on and elaborates existing research on gender discrimination in academia and suggests important future research directions in the area. It is surely a welcome addition to sociological literature on the 'chilly climate' of academia and key text for anyone interested in the climate of academia, workplace discrimination, and gender." - Contemporary Sociology