ERIC Number: EJ1446205
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2769-4879
EISSN: EISSN-2769-4887
Exploring the Experiences of College Women in Fields with Disparities in Gender Representation
Kara Crawford; Blake R. Silver
Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, v3 n3 p25-48 2024
Although women earn over half of all bachelor's degrees in the United States, they are not equally represented across fields of study. Research on gender segregation in higher education has expanded, but this primarily quantitative work tends to neglect the voices of the college women who are experiencing gender-segregated settings firsthand. Our research explores the experiences of women majoring in fields where gender representation is unequal. Sixteen women undergraduates took part in interviews, with half coming from majors classified as women-minority, and half from majors designated as women-majority. Findings demonstrate that women in women-minority majors and women in women-majority majors differ in how they describe their experiences around three themes: relationships with classmates, relationships with professors, and the emotional impact of major demographics. This article concludes by exploring implications for higher education.
Descriptors: Disproportionate Representation, Females, Gender Issues, Gender Discrimination, Sex Role, Socialization, Gender Differences, Social Distance, Majors (Students), Intellectual Disciplines, Undergraduate Students, Student Experience, Peer Relationship, Teacher Student Relationship, State Universities, Institutional Characteristics, Student Attitudes, Psychological Patterns
Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University. 1114 W Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306. Web site: https://journals.flvc.org/jpss/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A