Women Returning to Higher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

In 1983 43 adult women who returned to pursue full-time undergraduate studies at two institutions of higher education in England's East Midlands around 1980 were interviewed. In 1991, efforts were made to trace and reinterview the women. Of the 25 women located, 23 were interviewed a second time. When first interviewed, the women were certain that education was going to increase their employment opportunities and their independence from traditional family structures. Their perceptions of the role of education bore much more resemblance to notions of education as opportunity as expressed by the early pioneers of education for women than they did to the ideas of most feminist theorists of the nature of education for women and girls today. A small group of the women used their degrees to further existing careers. A second small group found it difficult to use their education in careers at all. The two most typical outcomes of the women's higher education, however, were lateral moves to another career and advancement to management or a professional career. (Appended are the two interview schedules.) Contains 100 references. (MN)