Predictions from Polachek's theory explaining occupational sex segregation are tested and found to be false. The data do not show that women are penalized less for intermittent employment if they choose predominantly female occupations. There is no evidence that such a choice is economically rational. (Author/SK)

Examined reasons underlying the reported sex differences in structural features of vocational schemas. Controlled for type of rated occupation in determining structural features, and for individual career orientation. Found only gender had a significant impact on structural features. Women showed higher levels of vocational integration, and men…

The role of vocational counseling in the career exploration process of young people is examined. It is argued that providing information about abilities and interests via same-sex and opposite-sex norms conveys more information than use of norms based on an overall group and facilitates exploration of nontraditional careers. (SLD)

Traditionally, blacks have been underrepresented in scientific and technical career fields, focusing instead on people and service-oriented careers. To investigate the relationship between career aspiration and various environmental influences (e.g., academic preparation and intellectual orientation, science-oriented hobbies, math and science…

Changes in the percentage of women graduating from six male-intensive professions during 1960-1980 were analyzed, and the opinions of professional school deans about the causes of these changes were surveyed. The professions were medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, law, engineering, and architecture. Data were obtained from the National…

This monograph is a revision of "Counseling Women for Nontraditional Careers" (Smith, Smith, and Stroup, 1977). This update reflects changes in societal attitudes toward combined work and family roles for women and toward women entering nontraditional occupations. After reviewing the current employment situation for women, five hypotheses are…

This monograph presents an overview of the employment situation in regard to women, describes trends occurring in women's career choices, and presents five hypotheses, with suggestions for accompanying activities, from which counselors may choose in counseling women for nontraditional careers. The five alternative hypotheses are as follows: (1)…

Conducted a follow-up study of (N=391) women six years after they entered college. Results found their attitudes toward women's roles were liberal; since high school, they had considered an average of nine occupations, with traditional choices continuing in popularity but being joined by more nontraditonal choices. (Author)

This paper presents an overview of occupational segregation, which keeps women in lower-paying job categories, especially as this segregation pertains to federal job programs. The first two sections of the paper survey occupational segregation in general, examining the statistics which show that women are heavily concentrated into a very limited…

The premise of this study is that to understand the needs of adult women in vocational education, stereotypes regarding life and work patterns of adult women must be discarded. The purpose of this study is to gain further understanding of how women's family responsibilities and prior education have influenced their working lives and how each of…

A pilot study was conducted to identify sex role factors which could affect the search for employment and the adjustment to employment for vocational graduates in selected occupational areas. Target employment areas were identified through a review of occupations with a disproportionate composition by one sex or the other. These included…

Analysis of employment and higher education patterns among women in Britain, Germany, and Sweden found discipline is the major factor influencing labor market entry, with most women preparing for traditionally female occupations and following financially less rewarding careers. While women in nontraditional occupations begin with an economic…

A study determined the extent of gender stratification in Finnish vocational education and labor force, especially in the transition from school to work. It used follow-up data that Statistics Finland gathered in 1990 concerning the labor force status of the 1985 school leavers and the level of their educational qualifications 5 years later to…

This literature review examines financial, administrative, and attitudinal problems that impede the expansion of sex equity opportunities in post-secondary vocational programs. After discussing the decreased willingness of the government to fund sex equity programs, the paper notes the forces that have increased the participation of women in…

French statistics show that in the area of training and employment, differences in behavior patterns between men and women have diminished considerably. Nonetheless, sexual segregation remains strong, especially in scientific and technical fields. Distribution among training streams remains uneven. In tertiary and upper-level education and…