Higher Education Fields of Study and Professional Employment: Trends in Sex Segregation during the 1970s

Changes in women's attainment of higher education during the 1970s have been dramatic. This paper documents trends toward women acquiring a higher proportion of degrees at all levels and moving into traditionally male fields of study. In 1980, females were awarded nearly half of all baccalaurea...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Beller, Andrea H, Han, Kee-ok Kim
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.06.1983
Subjects
Bachelors Degrees
Degrees (Academic)
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Trends
Employment Patterns
Enrollment Trends
Females
Higher Education
Masters Degrees
Nontraditional Occupations
Professional Education
Trend Analysis
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Summary:Changes in women's attainment of higher education during the 1970s have been dramatic. This paper documents trends toward women acquiring a higher proportion of degrees at all levels and moving into traditionally male fields of study. In 1980, females were awarded nearly half of all baccalaureate and master's degrees, slightly less than one-third of all doctoral degrees, and one-fourth of all first professional degrees. Moreover, on the undergraduate level, there were substantial increases in women's representation in traditionally male fields of study like business and management, agriculture, engineering, and computer science. Using regression analysis, the decline in an index of sex segregation by field of study among baccalaureate degree recipients is shown to be associated with a decline in an index of sex segregation among professional occupations. These trends in higher education suggest that young women will exhibit a greater attachment to the labor force than their older counterparts. (Author/CMG)