PREOCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION AMONG FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE-STUDENTS - AN APPLICATION OF THE DUNCAN DISSIMILARITY INDEX

Annual earnings continue to be unequal across gender and racial lines. One reason for this disparity is occupational segregation, the overre presentation of women and minorities in lower-paying jobs and occupati ons. This study involved an investigation of what could be considered the roots of subsequent occupational segregation among male and female minority and male and female nonminority first-year college students in relation to college major. A measure of preoccupational segregation was quantified through the use of the Duncan Dissimilarity Index. Fin dings indicated that preoccupational levels of segregation in the form of selection of college majors are not as prevalent as those levels o f occupational segregation found for the general workforce.