Persistence Is Cultural: Professional Socialization and the Reproduction of Sex Segregation
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Persistence is Cultural.pdf
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488.05 KB
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Author(s)
Seron, Carroll
Silbey, Susan S.
Cech, Erin
Rubineau, Brian
Date Issued
2015
Journal
Work and Occupations
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Citation
Seron, Carroll, Susan S. Silbey, Erin Cech, and Brian Rubineau. “Persistence Is Cultural: Professional Socialization and the Reproduction of Sex Segregation.” Work and Occupations 43, no. 2 (December 16, 2015): 178–214. © 2016 SAGE Publications.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Why does sex segregation in professional occupations persist? Arguing that the cultures and practices of professional socialization serve to perpetuate this segregation, the authors examine the case of engineering. Using interview and diary entry data following students from college entry to graduation, the authors show how socialization leads women to develop less confidence that they will “fit” into the culture of engineering. The authors identify three processes that produce these cultural mismatches: orientation to engineering at college entry, initiation rituals in coursework and team projects, and anticipatory socialization during internships and summer jobs. Informal interactions with peers and everyday sexism in teams and internships are particularly salient building blocks of segregation.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Anthropology Program
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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888415618728
