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Gender Stereotypes and Gendered Vocational Aspirations among Swiss Secondary School Students
- Source :
-
Educational Research . 2015 57(1):22-42. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Background: Horizontal gender inequalities appear to be rather stable, with girls more often choosing "female" service professions, and boys choosing career paths related to science, technology, engineering or Mathematics. Purpose: Non-egalitarian patriarchal gender-role orientations and gender associations (perceived femininity) of the school subjects German Language Arts and Mathematics are theorised--triangulating different theoretical backgrounds--and empirically analysed as a major predictor of gender-typical vocational aspirations, considering interest in these school subjects as a mediating factor. Furthermore, we focus on a patriarchal relation of father's and mother's workforce participation as a root of gender-role orientations, and teacher gender in regard to its impact on gendered images of subjects. Sample: Empirical analyses are based on survey data from eighth-graders (around the ages of 14 and 15 at the time of data gathering) in the Swiss canton of Bern. The sample only encompasses children from two-parent families, as patriarchality in terms of differences in workforce participation between father and mother is taken into account. Design and methods: The research issues are analysed employing structural equation models. The statistical package Mplus allows for an analysis of the two dependent dichotomous variables "gender-typical vocational aspiration" and "gender-atypical vocational aspiration". The hierarchic structure of the sample (school class clusters) is taken into account. Results: Findings reveal different patterns for boys and girls; for boys, gender-typical (male) vocational aspiration could be explained to a small extent via gender-role orientations, interest in Mathematics and gender associations of school subjects; for girls, the factors under consideration could be empirically linked to "atypical vocational aspiration". Teacher gender only has an impact among girls: if girls are taught by a female Mathematics teacher, they perceive the subject as a bit more female and show a higher interest in this subject. Their likelihood of having a gender-atypical vocational aspiration is a bit higher than among girls with a male Mathematics teacher who perceive the subject as a bit less female and, thus, show somewhat lower interest in this subject. Conclusions: There are still links--although weak--between gender stereotypes and vocational aspirations. Gender-role orientations are rooted in the family. A sensitisation towards gender stereotypes and their impact on aspiration s and career would appear to be meaningful in broadening the vocational perspectives of men and women.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0013-1881
- Volume :
- 57
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Educational Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1048688
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2014.983719