Universalism in Science: An Empirical Investigation of Attitudes toward Women in Science

The norm of "universalism" determines maintenance of science in society by preventing restriction of access to the field on grounds other than competence. Inferences for this theory are made on the basis of a test-case of the proposition that differential socialization predicts entry into the scientific talent pool. The Early Childhood Women in Science Scale (ECWiSS) was employed in a pilot administration to a sample of 791 students from New York City schools. Controlling for ability, significant differences in attitude were associated with various gender, age/grade, and socioeconomic status with gender explaining the greatest proportion (11%) of the total variance (16%). The findings suggest moderate normative compliance and the salience of including early childhood as a critical consideration in models of ascriptive and meritocratic processes affecting recruitment to science. (Author)