Research Report: Women in Higher Education: Trends in Enrollments and Degrees Earned

Abstract

The promise of equal opportunity in the United States implies access to education. Underlying this promise is the belief that educational achievement can be translated into occupational success. Belief in this ideal of equal opportunity and the value of education,coupled with a changing sociopolitical climate, prompted the challenges made to the educational status quo in the 1960s and 1970s. During those turbulent years women activists once again found their political voice to lobby for educational and occupational reforms.

Influences on women's entry into male-dominated occupations

“…The scarcity of longitudinal studies of the factors associated with women's entry into traditionally male-dominated professions has been noted previously (e.g., Randour, et al, 1982) and their need is abundantly clear from the preceding results. This phenomenon results from a complex interaction of the personal characteristics of women at the time they begin their undergraduate education, the characteristics of the institutions they attend, their experiences within those institutions, and their educational and employment activities following completion of their undergraduate preparation.…”

“…The percentage of women earning degrees at every level also increased substantially from 1960 to 1979 (Randour et al, 1982). More importantly, while most women were still earning degrees in female-dominated fields of study, significant shifts were seen in the proportions of women earning degrees in such traditionally male-dominated fields as agriculture, business, engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences (National Center for Education Statistics, 1981;Jacobs, 1986).…”

“…However, while there are numerous descriptive studies of the characteristics of women who aspire to enter male-dominated careers (e.g., Sells, 1980;Collins and Matyas, 1985;Lunneborg & Lunneborg, 1985) and correlational studies of pre-college factors associated with this aspiration (e.g., Ellis & Herrman, 1983;Daymont & Andrisani, 1984;Wis~, 1985), there is little longitudinal research investigating the roles played by colleges and universities in assisting women's attainment of these occupational aspirations. Randour, Strasburg, and Lipman-Blumen (1982) noted the need for "a longitudinal study.., tracking a large, representative group of women from entry into higher education through occupational entry, to five to ten year post-entry levels" in order "to understand better how various institutional factors affect educational and occupational outcomes for women" (p~ 200). It seems quite plausible, as Daniels (1975) suggeste, that some college environments may be more suitable than others in enhancing women's interest in and entry into male-dominated occupations.…”

Factors Affecting Female Employment in Male‐dominated Occupations: Evidence From the 1990 and 2000 Census Data

“…In the field of education, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which barred sex discrimination in federally assisted educational programs, had far-reaching effects. Other significant legislative acts that followed include formation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and amendments to the act in 1972(see Ethington 1988Ferber and Lowery 1976;Randor et al 1982).…”

“…Dickens and Lang (1985) find that females and minorities were primarily hired in secondary labor markets. Mainly relying on National Center for Education Statistics and the American Council on Education data, Randor et al (1982) find that women were still earning degrees in female-intensive and lower status fields. The study also found an inverse relationship between the level of degree and the percentage of women earning degrees in that respective field.…”