GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SCIENCE, MATH, AND TECHNOLOGY CAREERS - PRESTIGE LEVEL AND HOLLAND INTEREST TYPE

This study examined gender differences in Holland's occupational inter est types and occupational prestige for persons in a science, math, or technical (SMT) career. Participants were 113 (62 female, 51 male) yo ung adults followed up in 1990 from a larger Midwest longitudinal stud y involving six high schools first assessed in 1980. Their 1990 occupa tions (n = 71) or college majors (n = 42) were coded for Holland occup ational interest type and prestige. As expected, gender differences we re found for occupational prestige (p < .001). The odds for the men co mpared to women being in higher prestige majors/occupations were 18.7 times higher. Men and women had similar proportions of occupations wit h a Holland Investigative emphasis. Although, as in previous research, there were gender differences (p < .01) for Holland's Realistic and S ocial interest types this was true only when Realistic or Social was t he first letter in the Holland code. There were no gender differences for Holland Realistic or Social codes in the second or third positions . Our findings indicate that women need not feel they must give up the ir Social interests to pursue a high-prestige science career since man y of these combine Social with Investigative and Realistic interests. Results are discussed with implications for practice and future resear ch. (C) 1998 Academic Press.