Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Zahra Habibi

Publication Date

4-25-1978

Abstract

The purposes of this study were : (1) to explore the differences in sex-role stereotyping between college students selecting traditionally sex-appropriate fields of study (Traditionals) and students selecting traditionally sex-inappropriate fields of study (Pioneers), and (2) to examine the differences between the two groups in terms of some specific factors assumed to be related to the development of sex-role stereotyping, i.e., specific parental characteristics, peer influence and school experiences.

Subjects of the study were 222 junior and senior students from 8 departments of the University of New Mexico. Four of them were assumed to be traditionally male dominated fields-namely, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and electrical engineering; and the other four departments were assumed to be traditionally female dominated fields--home economics, elementary education, special education and nursing. The majority (182) of the subjects participated in the study in their regularly scheduled classes while 34 subjects participated through the mail. Two questionnaires were used in the study: the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), used as a measure of sex role stereotyping, and an instrument developed by the researcher to measure the following variables : (1) demographic variables such as age, sex, major field of study, educational and economic level of parents; (2) some parental characteristics assumed to be related to sex stereotyping of the children (such as warmth, control and cognitive involvement) ; (3) peer's sex stereotypic beliefs; (4) teacher ' s sex stereotypic attitudes and (5) sex stereotypic functions of the schools attended by the students.

The major findings of the study were as follows:(1) Pioneers rated themselves as more androgynous and less sex typed than did Traditionals; (2) Pioneers perceived their parents (both father and mother) to be more affectionate and warmer than did Traditionals; (3) Pioneers reported greater parental cognitive involvement than Traditionals; (4) Pioneers perceived their parents to hold attitudes and behaviors that were less sex stereotypic than those of Traditionals; (5) female Pioneers reported higher levels of parental education and income than did Traditionals; (6) Pioneers perceived their closest friend to hold less traditional attitudes toward sex roles than did Traditionals; (7) Pioneers reported having had more teachers who encouraged them to develop their educational potential regardless of traditionally sex appropriate roles.

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Educational Leadership

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Mary Bierman Harris

Second Committee Member

Robert Micali

Third Committee Member

Peggy Janice Blackwell

Fourth Committee Member

John Thomas Zepper

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