THE DYNAMICS OF TOKENISM - HOW COLLEGE-STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED BY THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN THEIR MAJOR

This study provides an empirical test of Kanter's theory of ''tokenism '' (1977a,b)-that individuals will be affected adversely by declining representation of their own gender within an environment. Using studen ts' college major as the environmental backdrop, this study examines h ow the proportion of women in a major affects students' college grades , academic self-concept, mathematical self-concept, social self-concep t, satisfaction with the major, and persistence in the major. Data are drawn from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's 1985 Fres hman Survey and 1989 Follow-Up Survey. The sample includes 7,641 women and 5,074 men in 344 four-year colleges and universities. Regression results indicate that the proportion of women in the major has essenti ally no impact on the cognitive and affective development of college s tudents. Instead, this study illustrates how the relationship between the gender composition of the major and student outcomes can be accoun ted for by characteristics of students, aspects of the college environ ment, and the effects of major field.