Gender Roles and Women's Issues as an Area of Interest Among Sociologists: 1975-1985

Trends in sociological research on gender roles & women's issues are examined using data from the American Sociological Assoc's Guide to Graduate Departments for 1975, 1980, & 1985. Only individuals listed in domestic graduate departments granting the PhD degree are considered. Results show the % of Fs increased from 16+% in 1975 to 20% in 1985, & the % of Fs citing gender roles or women's issues as an area of interest increased from 14.2% to 25.1%. In contrast, only 0.3% of M sociologists indicated an interest in this area in 1975, rising to 1.1% in 1985. When only those individuals expressing an interest in this specialty are taken as a base population, a different picture emerges. A steady increase has occurred in the number of sociologists involved in this area, & the proportion of Ms has grown from 10% in 1975 to 15% in 1985, with a proportional decrease in % of Fs. M representation in the area of gender issues is out of proportion to the level of interest in the area among the total population of M sociologists. 3 Tables, 9 References. K. Carande