| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 教育研究所 === 88 === Gender differences in career development of graduates in non-traditional major
Jing-ying Ning
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to inquiry the career development of graduates in non-traditional professions and their career barriers they might have. The researcher intended to understand why women chose male-dominated professions and men chose female-dominated professions and for what reasons they decided to continue studying in graduate school. How did they feel about studying in the non-traditional field? What career plans do they have and what barriers may occur to them in the future?
Naturalistic inquiry was adopted as the methodology of this research. Eight graduates were chosen as participants based on maximum variation sampling. In-depth interview was used as data collection. The datum were categorized by using constant comparative method. The results were summarized as follows:
First, the factors influenced participants choosing the science and math major in senior high school are: preference for science and math, interest, teachers''/ parents'' expectation and more opportunities for jobs. The reasons for studying in graduate school are as follows: lacking of professional skills; under-preparation of work; diplomaism; upward mobility; breaking with girl friend; and more chances to choose mates.
Second, most participants mentioned the reason they chose non-traditional major was their interests. Some female participants still mentioned that they chose this major because they got the matriculation of the department and their parents'' expectation was also one of the reasons. Male participants chose nursing as their major because their grades of the JCEE(Joint College Entrance Examination) were up to this major and the department was near their home.
Third, when some participants found out they did not like their major in the college, they ever considered about changing their major. They gave up that idea because they thought the regulations of changing major were so strict that they could not get over through them. They also concerned that changing major will cause to prolong their studying years. Two reasons for females who still could persist in the male-dominated major were: one was they could still handle the assignments well in this major; the other was their parents did not approve the idea of changing major. The factors for males who could persist in nursing department and social work department were the encouragement of the teachers and minority prestige-more opportunities for promotion and jobs.
Fourth, there were differences between men''s and women''s perceptions of their career plans and career barriers in the future. Men''s career plans will look forward to upward mobility and higher social status while women will consider if their future occupations will correspond to their interests or life styles. Men''s career barriers were: female-dominated occupations will be unsatisfied by their parents and social expectation for men; they may not be a successful male bread winner. On the contrary, women''s career barriers are: marriage, language ability, lacking of parents'' support for her change of the major, interpersonal problems and lacking of professional skills.
Fifth, based upon their past learning experiences, men or women felt differently about being as minorities. Men or women who had never studied with the opposite sex in the same class before entering the college felt very uncomfortable being as minorities but those who did felt easy with the situation. Besides, men who chose female-dominated professions or women who chose male-dominated professions all felt it was a pity they could not hardly find the chums. Men who chose nursing as their major had more difficulties in adapting to the occupational stereotypes. However, they finally adapted to it because they found the male occupational identity. As for women in male-dominated professions, they thought they could do as best as men do.
Sixth, men in female-dominated professions had more opportunities for jobs and upward mobility. Women in male-dominated professions, on the other hand, sometimes needed to deal with the sexual-discrimination, so they needed to put much more efforts on persisting their non-traditional career choices. In addition, educators in college gave men in female-dominated professions more attention, caring, and expectation than those of women in male-dominated professions.
Keywords: career development, non-traditional major, naturalistic inquiry
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