Women in non-traditional professions: The case of dentistry

The field of dentistry has undergone significant changes in the past 3 0 years. The 19 60s marked an era of expansion. However, by 1990 the field had to deal with an oversupply of dentists, supermarket and franchise dental clinics, lower economic returns for dental education, and a declining applicant pool. The applicant pool also was changing in composition with an increasing number of minorities and women both applying and being accepted. This study attempted to determine if assumptions concerning women's vocational development, as incorporated in Gottfredson's (1981) Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, were applicable today in what had historically been a stereotypically masculine occupation.

A sample of 364 participants (281 dental students and 83 dentists) was administered a demographic questionnaire and Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI). Various analyses were performed to assess differences between male and female dental students. The results tended not to support Gottfredson's theory. There were no differences between males and females on the Investigative- Realistic and Investigative-Artistic two point VPI codes. Female students were significantly different from males on the Holland codes of Enterprising and Conventional. The factors incorporated in Gottfredson's (1981) theory, of parental occupational and educational level, marital status, and the timing of choice of occupation were not found to distinguish between male and female dental students. The results are explained in relation to historical changes in women's roles and the possible narrowing of the gender gap in vocational development. Finally, the technological advances in the field of dentistry, as in other occupations, appear to to tap into different vocationally relevant characteristics than the Investigative, Social and Realistc themes assigned to dentistry. Directions for future research are suggested.