| Karen Bradley
Western Washington University
Gendered pipelines: A cross-national study of sex segregation in engineering and computer science fields of study
Although women now make up about half of the world's tertiary students, substantial gender stratification remains within virtually all systems of higher education. Female underrepresentation in engineering and computer science fields of study is the most extreme - and arguably the most consequential - form that this sex segregation takes. The proposed project explores macro-level factors affecting women's representation in engineering, mathematics and computer science programs through log-linear analysis of data from 26 countries. Much previous research on this topic has focused on identifying characteristics of individuals and their immediate social environment (e.g., aptitudes, interests, occupational aspirations, parental support) that promote or hinder their successful passage through "the science pipeline." We seek to supplement this micro-level work by investigating the cultural and structural processes that help generate individual-level gender differences and/or mediate their impact on educational outcomes. Our previous cross-national research identified gender-egalitarian cultural norms as one of the strongest (positive) predictors of women's presence in male-dominated educational domains. In the present study, we will employ international data on adolescent girls' and boys' relative aptitudes and orientations toward science and mathematics (TIMSS), as well as data on female economic opportunities, to more clearly specify these cultural effects. We will also examine effects of various Structural factors, including features of educational systems and the organization of science. Results of this research will provide important insights as to the appropriate locus for policy efforts aimed at increasing female representation in engineering and information technology fields of study.
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