What would you have done if you weren’t doing what you are doing now?

This is an interesting question for Dr. Acker, because she actually did pursue several other career paths before becoming an academic. If she has not had had the desire for children, she probably would have pursued a career that included adventure and writing (such as becoming a foreign correspondent). She may have also pursued her social work career full time, although she prefers academics because she felt like she was trying to confront problems that were too big for one person during her social work career. Dr. Acker is also interested in political activism, so a career in activism around a variety of issues may also have been appropriate.