VALUES OF WOMEN HOME ECONOMICS STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The purpose of this investigation was to (1) identify and compare the values of women home economics majors in five different areas of study in home economics; (2) compare the values of senior women home economics majors with those of freshmen women home economics majors; and (3) compare the values of women home economics majors with randomly selected women majors in agriculture; business and economics; engineering; forestry, wildlife and range sciences; and mines and earth resources.; Form D of Rokeach's Value Survey was administered to all who declared a home economics major during the first semester, 1980-1981, at the University of Idaho. The non-traditional majors were randomly selected from a computer list of women students with majors in the previously mentioned colleges. The SPSS Software package statistical treatment of data tested the three hypotheses using the median chi-square test of significance.; Although several significant differences distinguished the groups participating in this investigation, many values were similarly ranked by the respondents. The composite rankings of all of the students showed that the instrumental values honest, loving, responsible, forgiving, and ambitious and the terminal values self-respect and happiness were ranked in that order as most important by all of the respondents. Obedient was ranked last by all of the respondents.; The child development and family relations major and the clothing, textiles and home design majors ranked responsible significantly higher than did the other home economics majors. Pleasure and a comfortable life were ranked significantly higher by home economics general majors.; A sense of accomplishment and imaginative were ranked significantly higher by senior women than by freshmen while salvation and honest were ranked significantly higher by freshmen than by seniors.; The non-traditional majors ranked the instrumental values broadminded and courageous and the terminal value freedom significantly higher than did the home economics majors. The home economics majors ranked the instrumental value clean significantly higher than the non-traditional majors.