TY - JOUR
T1 - Women's persistence in undergraduate majors
T2 - The Effects of Gender-Disproportionate Representation
AU - Rogers, Stacy J.
AU - Menaghan, Elizabeth G.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2016 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1991/12
Y1 - 1991/12
N2 - Women's lack of participation in science and technology careers is foreshadowed by their low participation in these undergraduate majors. Kanter's theory of tokenism suggests that the effects of being in the numerical minority are responsible for women's absence from the science and technology pipeline. This article uses data from a sample of undergraduate women at a large state university to consider the effects of gender-disproportionate enrollment on women's persistence in majors. Many of the male-dominated majors were in science and technology fields. The authors tested Kanter's theory of tokenism, including the effects of sex ratio in the major, performance pressure, and role entrapment on undergraduate women's likelihood of persistence. In support of Kanter's model, the authors found that performance pressure has a significant, negative effect on likelihood of persistence. However, contrary to Kanter's argument, women in more gender-balanced majors were most likely to be contemplating a change in major.
AB - Women's lack of participation in science and technology careers is foreshadowed by their low participation in these undergraduate majors. Kanter's theory of tokenism suggests that the effects of being in the numerical minority are responsible for women's absence from the science and technology pipeline. This article uses data from a sample of undergraduate women at a large state university to consider the effects of gender-disproportionate enrollment on women's persistence in majors. Many of the male-dominated majors were in science and technology fields. The authors tested Kanter's theory of tokenism, including the effects of sex ratio in the major, performance pressure, and role entrapment on undergraduate women's likelihood of persistence. In support of Kanter's model, the authors found that performance pressure has a significant, negative effect on likelihood of persistence. However, contrary to Kanter's argument, women in more gender-balanced majors were most likely to be contemplating a change in major.
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U2 - 10.1177/089124391005004007
DO - 10.1177/089124391005004007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84965875244
VL - 5
SP - 549
EP - 564
JO - Gender and Society
JF - Gender and Society
SN - 0891-2432
IS - 4
ER -