EFFECTS OF SEX RATIOS ON OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE AND DESIRABILITY AMONG BLACK AND WHITE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This study attempted to replicate Touhey's (1974a. 1974b) research on the effect of increased proportion of women incumbents on the prestige and desirability of six high status occupations. The subjects. 200 black and white male and female college students rated these occupations under instruct ions that they were either low and stable or high and increasing in proportion of women. Proportion of women did not affect the prestige ratings of the occupations for any of the subject groups. Proportion of women affected occupational desirability for men and women and for blacks and whites. In each instances, the effect was to increase desirability for one group and to decrease it for the other.