Embarking on and Persisting in Scientific Fields of Study: Cultural capital, gender, and curriculum along the science pipeline

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the nature and extent of participation of Canadian young women and men in science‐based academic fields. Informed by Bourdieu’s theory of cultural reproduction, we focus on three key stages—senior secondary school, the transition to post‐secondary studies, and the post‐secondary completion stage—to determine whether and how the interrelationships of gender, cultural capital, course completion in senior secondary school, timing of decisions, and initial participation in post‐secondary education lead to the completion of science‐related undergraduate degrees. Through correspondence analyses of 10 years of longitudinal data with 1,055 respondents, we extend the findings of cross‐sectional studies that examine only one aspect of this longitudinal story by showing how the intersection between organisational structures (institutional and disciplinary) and cultural capital transmitted by the family shapes the opportunity structures of access to scientific fields of study by young women and men.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the B.C. Council on Admissions and Transfer for funding this longitudinal research project. Also, they would like to thank Michael Greenacre, André Mazawi, and Amy Metcalfe for commenting on earlier drafts.

Notes

1. According to Bourdieu (1986), social capital consists of social obligations or “connections”. Two criteria determine the volume of the social capital a given agent has at her or his disposal: first, the size of the network of connections that the agent can effectively mobilise; and, second, the volume of capital (economic, cultural, or symbolic) possessed by each of those to whom the agent is connected. Coleman (1988) maintains that social capital exists in three forms: as obligations and expectations, as information channels, and as social norms.

2. A 15‐year follow‐up was conducted recently.

3. When possible, the full label (e.g., “physical sciences”) is used. However, when there is limited space on the maps, abbreviations are used (e.g., “PS”).