Literature Review Blog #1

1.

Janis Dietz: Author of article

Unemployment rates for recent grads by major.

Many majors to choose from.

2.  Dietz, Janis. "THE MYTH THAT COLLEGE AND MAJOR CHOICE DECIDES JOHNNY'S FUTURE." College Student Journal. 44.2 n. page. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=b083d3c3-b11d-430a-9625-0431b6f99042@sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==

3. This article explored choice of major and it's resulting success. It tests various hypotheses regarding choice of school and success (Ivy League or public), CEO success of Fortune 500 companies with and without degrees and success,  whether major decides success, and it's opposite argument that major does not affect success, as well as many charts using numerical data including type of school and major.  This article looks at whether choice of major/school affects things such as availability of jobs. Certain aspects also go into success, such as student interest and student population. Also, there is influence from gender and ethnicity. The article asks "Do certain people tend to choose certain majors?" Certain people tend to be more interested in a specific subject. Males are more influenced by career advancement and compensational potential. Females are influenced by aptitude for the subject. There is also an influence from family and friends, and this plays a large part for some.

4. Janis Dietz is a professor at the University of La Verne in California. Her department is Business and she is a professor of Business Administration. She has published reviews of scholarly works in the Journal of Consumer Marketing. She has also published books entitled "Yes, You Can!", and "The 3 Simple Secrets of Success after the Diploma: Integrity, Persistence, and Discipline".

5. Race/Gender Influences: 

Race and gender can influence college major choice, and therefore success. For example, females are significantly more likely to choose interdisciplinary/social science majors over science. African Americans (Over Caucasians) are more likely to choose the same, however, Hispanics (over Caucasians) are more likely to choose arts and humanities, and interdisciplinary science over science majors. Students with liberal views are more likely to pick a non-science major. Asian origin students are more likely to choose majors with greater early economic expectations based on immigrant status, family background, and parental expectations. 

College Choice:

College can potentially have a large impact on the rate of success post graduation. There are many variables that could go into this, such as student interest, the school's product, and even the student population. Ivy League and Public schools were studied and percentages were found regarding undergraduate degree. Many more CEO's of Fortune 100 companies attended a public school rather than a Ivy League school.

6.. "Past experience suggests that the particular college

     a student attends is far less important than what the

     student does to develop his or her strengths and talents 

     over the next four years" (Shellenbarger, 2009). 

"After all, study upon study has shown that where a
     person went to college has no effect on personal
     happiness, income level or professional satisfaction
     in later life" (ibid).

A study in Economics of Education Review in 2007 "found that across all fields, new grads who were in jobs matching their majors earned more than those who weren't (Barrett, 2008). Porter & Umbach (2006) found that undergraduate major is significantly correlated with job stability and job satisfaction. Major choice may be affected by gender and race. It is most certainly affected by personality.

7. This material will help me in my research because it includes many valuable charts, explanations, and hypotheses exploring every spectrum of choosing a college major. It includes counter arguments and explanations as to why school and major choice affect post graduation. It includes the variables included in making the decision, and who is more likely to make choices for specific majors. I think this will help me because it will allow me to explore the major selection aspect of my research, because we have not had a reading talking about major choice and it's affects. I think this gave me a lot of insight as to how one chooses a major, and how much success will radiate off from this choice. I liked how this article gave me reasons why someone might choose a major based on race and gender. I found out a lot of things I did not know regarding major and success, and would like to use this article in my research.