Research Report # 2-83

SUMMARY

Freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) were asked to choose which of four educational philosophies developed by Clark and Trow (Vocational, Academic, Collegiate or Nonconformist) was closest to their own. Comparisons (Chi square at .05) showed that students in 1982-83,compared to those in 1969-70,were more likely to choose Vocational and Academic philosophies and less likely to choose Nonconformist, with Collegiate choices about the same. Women were more likely to choose Academic or Collegiate, and less likely to choose Vocational, or Nonconformist. However, the differences between men and women were only about half in 1982-83 what they were in 1969-70, and all of the increase in Vocational choices was due to increased interest by women. Implications for campus services are discussed.

Are college students different today than they were in past years? This is a very common question asked of student affairs staff. The answers given are often based on vague speculations and selective perceptions rather than on empirical data. The research office of the Counseling Center at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) has begun a research program designed to answer the question "Have students changed?" so that the campus has more information on which to base its academic and nonacademic programs.

As part of this program, Martinez and Sedlacek (1983) found that the social climate, or those expectations that students had for what was acceptable or normative behavior,had changed over a decade. They found that students in 1981 expected a more conservative political atmosphere, but a more liberal social atmosphere (e. g., premarital sex was assumed to be more accepted).

Clark and Trow (1966) developed a way to differentiate student subcultures by assessing the basic orientation students have to their college life. They developed four subcultures or philosophies which encompass all students. Table 1 shows the four subcultures (Vocational, Academic, Collegiate or Nonconformist). Studies have shown that knowing a student's orientation to a subculture is related to their adjustment to college life, scholastic aptitude, and college major (Biggs, 1973: Kees, 1974; Lange, Woodburn & Miller, 1974; and Pascarella and Terenzini, 1977). Additionally, Maw (1981) provides evidence that orientations to typologies remain unchanged 10 years after college. The purpose of the present study was to examine student subcultures chosen by students at one university over a thirteen year period to see if "students had changed." One kind of change of particular interest was to see if there were differences between male and female students over time.

Method

Random samples of freshmen entering UMCP in 1969-70 (N=628: 340 males, 328 females) and 1982-83 (N=3,111: 1626 males and 1485 females) were asked to choose which of the four philosophies stated in Table 1 was closest to their own philosophy of education. No label was put on each philosophy.

Results

Table 2 shows the student choices of subcultures by year and sex. Differences were significant (Chi square at .05) between years and between males and females.

Differences by Year

Results showed that there were more students who chose the Academic (26% vs. 20%) and Vocational (40% vs.35%) subcultures in 1982-83 than in 1969-70. However, in 1982=83, there were fewer Nonconformists (8% vs. 19%), but about the same percentage of Collegiate types (25% vs. 26%) as there were in 1969-70.

Differences by Sex

Females tended to choose Academic and Collegiate philosophies more often than males, but males chose Vocational and Nonconformist philosophies more often than females. While these differences were present in both years, they were much less pronounced in 1982-83 than they were in 1969-70.

Discussion

The answer to the initial question posed: "Have students changed?" is yes. Some students are more likely to be interested in preparing for a career, but there are also more students interested in intellectual pursuits. Also, there appear to be fewer students interested in doing "their own thing," and about one-quarter of the students remain primarily interested in social and extra-curricular activities. Another notable change is that the differences between men and women are about half as large as they used to be.

There seem to be many implications for student personnel workers in these results. First, increased student interest in practical career preparation is supported. At UMCP, these findings have resulted in at least three specific changes in student personnel agencies: (1) The Counseling Center has increased its emphasis on vocational counseling by offering more vocational counseling groups, a staff development program to increase counselor skills, and vocational counseling interests were made a priority in hiring a new counselor;

2) The Orientation 0ffice has developed a vocational component to represent approximately 50% of its program for new freshmen. Vocational information and campus services are emphasized; (3) the Career development Center has begun a series of studies of vocational needs and perceptions of recent graduates in cooperation with the Counseling Center (Knight, Sedlacek and Bachhuber, 1983).

The increase of academic types should remind us that an increase in vocational interests does not necessarily mean a decrease in intellectual interests. Based on these findings, the Counseling Center at UMCP has begun a cooperative program with the Honors Program. Part of this program has been the collection of information on student interest in the Honors Program.

Since so many student affairs functions are concerned with the social and extra-curricular aspects of student life, the stability of Collegiate types has provided a reminder that traditional student personnel work is as necessary as ever. Resources should not be shifted to more academic areas because of a lack of student need and interest.

The smaller number of Nonconformists provides empirical evidence that more students are involved in the campus, and that student personnel workers are needed more than ever.

The decreased differences between men and women could have the most farreaching implications for student affairs professionals. In one sense it means

that fewer programs aimed only at men or only at women are called for. At the same time, it means there may be additional problems for men as more become academic types (a traditionally female orientation, or as women become more vocationally oriented. Table 2 shows that the entire increase in vocational orientation among students was due to the increase in female interest (28T to 35%). Kingdon and Sedlacek (1982) found that 42% of freshmen women were interested in traditionally male occupations, while Knight, Sedlacek and Bachhuber (1983) have found that three-quarters of college women are still finding traditionally female Jobs upon graduation. Do women become more socialized toward greater acceptance of traditionally female occupations while in college? Or do women remain interested in nontraditional fields, but just take what they can get when they graduate? Or do the women with nontraditional interests leave school? Should counselors and advisors encourage women to pursue nontraditional interests? Or should they prepare them for the "real° occupational world? Finding answers to these and many other questions face student affairs professionals in a time of change and opportunity.

REFERENCES

Biggs, D.A. (1973). Clark-Trove orientations arid peer culture. Journal of College Student Personnel, 14, 57-62.

Clark, B.R. and Trow, M. (1966). The organizational context. In T.M. Newcomb and E.R. Wilson (Eds.). College Peer Groups. Chicago, III.: Aldine.

Kees, D.J. (1974). The Clark-Trove typology revisited. Journal of College Student Personnel, 2, 140-144.

Kingdon, M.A. and Sedlacek, W.E. (1982). Differences between women who choose traditional and on-traditional careers. Journal for the National Association of Women Deans, Administrators and Counselors, 45, # 2, 34-37.

Knight, G.D., Sedlacek, W.E., & Bachhuber, T.D. (1983). Occupational status and career development needs of recent female college graduates. Journal of College Student Personnel, 24, 152-156.

Lange, A.J., Woodburn, L.T., & Miller, W.G. (1974). Differences among Clark-Trove subgroups. Journal of College Student Personnel, 15, 498-501.

Martinet, A.C. and Sedlacek, W.E. (1.983). Changes in the social climate of a campus over a decade. College and University, 58, 214-259.

Maw, I.L. (1981). Student subculture references: Ten years later. Journal of College Student Personnel, 22, # 4, 302-305.

Pascarella, E.T. & Terenzini, P.T. (1977). Personality correlates of Clark-Trove student types: A construct validation. Journal of College Student Personnel, 7, 268-275.

Table 1

STUDENT SUBCULTURES 1

Philosophy A (Vocational) In college primarily to prepare for a career; view practical work experience as more important than intellectual discussion or extracurricular activities.

Philosophy B (Academic) Attaches greatest importance to interest in ideas, pursuit of knowledge, and cultivation of the intellect; often spends leisure time reading books not required for course work and in intellectual discussions.

Philosophy C (Collegiate)

Highly involved in social and other extracurricular activities. Considers learning from social relationships as an important part of the college experience.

Philosophy D (Nonconformist) Emphasizes individual interests and styles, concern for personal identity, and is generally critical of and detached from the college, faculty, and administration.

1 Based on Clark and Prow (1966)

Numbers and Percentages of Students Choosing Clark-Trow Subcultures by Year and Sex
Year and Sex	Subcultures
1969-70	Vocational		Academic		Collegiate		Nonconformist		Total
	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	N
Male	149	44	59	17	60	18	72	21	340
Female	81	28	70	24	94	33	43	15	288
Total	230	35	129	20	154	26	115	19	628
1982-83
Male	724	44	403	25	341	21	158	10	1626
Female	523	35	423	28	437	29	102	7	1485
Total	1247	40	826	26	778	25	260	8	3111

Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Differences by year and sex significant at .05 using Chi square.