This research will examine the causes and consequences of engineering identity development among undergraduate engineering majors. We hypothesize that those who are better able to be socialized into the engineering student role will also develop a deeper identity as an engineering student. Further, this process will likely be influenced by development and use of a network of others who support that identity. Also, gender and race will influence the extent to which an individual is able to successfully develop an engineering identity. Finally, those who develop an engineering identity will be more likely to remain in their program. Our data collection is informed by research that has found that women are underrepresented within engineering majors, and some evidence indicates that females drop out of engineering at a greater rate than males. Data will be collected in three phases. First, students will meet in focus groups to talk about what it means to be an engineering student, what is expected of engineering students, what they think might be common assumptions regarding and stereotypes of engineers, and whether they think the stereotypes have any merit. Second, incoming fall 2008 freshmen engineering students will be asked to complete an online survey on engineering, identity, and progress in their major once per semester for their first two years in the program. Finally, 20-30 students will be randomly selected for individual interviews, in which they are asked to expand upon their survey responses. There are two expected impacts of this research; one is theoretical and the other regards policy. Theoretically, this research allows for the application of identity theory to occupational decision-making. In terms of policy, it will help clarify why some women leave engineering and others stay. Specifically, this research will advance discovery and understanding of the social forces which influence student attrition within engineering programs. There have been very few sociological examinations of this phenomenon, and such a perspective can contribute to the current literature. By identifying the ways a student?s role socialization, network affiliations, and identity salience may influence attrition decisions, this research will can also be used to inform policy decisions by universities, engineering departments, and individual student mentors. Though the gap is shrinking, women are still underrepresented in engineering. Research which elucidates some of the reasons why women who were initially interested in becoming engineers, but later dropped out of the program, can be used proactively. Once it is known why students?and especially female students?are leaving engineering programs, steps can be taken to actively work to increase retention rates, and thus, rates of women in the field.
