Gender and Career Choice

8/13/2019 Gender and Career Choice

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GENDER AND CAREERCHOICE

An exploration of literature


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DEVELOPMENTAL

THEORIES:

LINDA GOTTFREDSON(1981; 1996, 2001, 2004)


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Gottfredson: Stages of

Development of young people

Ages 3-5 Orientation to Size and Power

Ages 6-8 Orientation to sex roles: Career ideasinfluenced by ideas of sex roles

Ages 9-13 Affected by Abstract ideas of SocialClass. At this point, prestige becomes animportant factor in career choice floors andceilings for their aspirations.

Ages 14+ young people become moreintrospective, greater self consciousnessconcern about what others think.


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Gottfredson (Continued)

Most people share a cognitive map of

occupations (based on Hollands research)

This is based along dimensions of prestige and

sex type vocational choice begins a process of

circumscription, of eliminating occupational

alternatives that conflict with ones self concept

The formation of self concept and occupational

preferences begins early in life and develops:

although individuals develop at different rates


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Circumscription and Compromise

Self Concept

Emphasises the important part that sex roles and

prestige play in making choices

Occupational Preferences

Perceived accessibility of occupations


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Gottfredsons Circumscription

and Compromise

Circumscription: progressive elimination of

unacceptable alternatives due to gender bias

and prestige issues

Compromise: need to accept less attractiveoptions due to environmental factors: however

- sex type bias most resistant to change.

The theory.focuses on how young peoplegradually come to recognise and deal with the

array of vocational choices their society provides.


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IS WOMENS CAREER

DEVELOPMENT MORE

COMPLEX THANMENS?

Coogan, PA and Chen, CP. (2007)


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Barriers to womens career

development

Women face a number of barriers to their

career development that both complicate and

limit their career choices and advancement

(p.192) Early gender roles

Employment inequalities

Family responsibilities


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Early Gender Role Orientation

Girls as homemakers, nurturers

Girls do not place the same emphasis on

pursuing a successful career

Girls limit themselves to stereotypically female

jobs


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Early Gender Roles

many women are exposed to pervasive

messages that a womans life should revolve

around taking care of others and that theircareer plans are some how superimposed on

this primary obligation.


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Employment Inequalities

Discrimination

Lack of mentorship

Sexual harassment


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Discrimination

Women tend to go into less well paid jobs

They often take time out for child rearing

The resulting discrimination affects career

choice, job entry, job promotion and

satisfaction


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Sexual Harassment

sexual harassment translates systematic

attitudes about gender based power and

womens appropriate roles into interpersonallymediated barriers to career satisfaction and

personal well being.


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Family Responsibilities

Women experience more employment

interruptions

Women experience reduced advancement

opportunities in their vocational life

Not serious about work?


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Theoretical Perspectives

Gottfriedson

the role of gender very often becomes the most

dominant factor in deciding ones career direction

Super

Self concept; Life roles; Recycle though career

development stages


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Theoretical Perspectives

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT)

Agency

womens career development is especiallyaffected and complicated by a range of dynamic

interactions between social, personal, and other

related contexts


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Suggestions for practice

Sensitivity, knowledge and skill

Knowledge based n research and scholarship

Awareness of own bias

Be challenging of misconceptions

Encouraging development of political

awareness


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Discuss this quote.

The role of the practitioner is to:

help the client become a more cognisant,

proactive and skilful agent who masters her

career choice and direction.

Do you agree?

Is the author demonstrating any sense of bias?


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WOMEN, CAREERS

AND WORK-LIFEPREFERENCES

Catherine Hakim (2007)


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Hakims viewpoint

men will retain their dominance in the labour

market, politics and other competitive activities

because only a minority of women areprepared to prioritise their jobs in the same

way as men.

Do you agree?


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3 types of career

Home centred

Work centred

Adaptive

Do you agree?

What are the implication for guidance?

How could you use this knowledge to informcareer guidance for school pupils?


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Occupational Dreams

Coogan and Chen claim that men focus on

career in their late teens whilst women have

more domestic aspirations. Career

considerations are more likely to be a focus foryoung women a decade later, between the

ages of 28-33

Please discuss if this is your experience. And

consider if the are wrong why that might be.


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References

Coogan, PA . Chen, CP. (2007)Career development and

counselling for women: Connecting theories to practice,Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 20:2, 191-204

Gottfredson, L. (2004) Using Gottfredsons Theory of

Circumscription and Compromise in Careers Guidance

and Counselling

Hakim, C. (2007) Women, Careers and worklife

preferences British Journal of Guidance and Counselling

34:3, 279-294

Gender and Career Choice

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