Research on occupational sex-typing has yielded conflicting results. Some research (Krefting, Berger, & Wallace, 1978;Shinar, 1975) indicates that such stereotypes are firmly in place among men and women across various age groups, while other research indicates that occupational sex-typing may be diminishing. Shepard and Hess (1975) presented kindergarten, eighth-grade, college, and adult participants a list of 43 occupations, and asked whether each occupation should be undertaken by a man, a woman, or either a man or a woman. Results indicated a significant number of occupations, considered traditionally male or female, were marked "either" by all four groups. "Liberality," defined as the number of "either" choices, that is the occupation was appropriate for either a man or a woman, increased from kindergarten through college, but declined among adults.The studies above were delimited to attitudes toward occupations. Breakdown of occupational sex-typing may mean little unless accompanied by an increase in preference for nontraditional careers. Studies from which it was concluded there was a diminishing of occupational sex-typing have failed to demonstrate consistency between Leslie S. Evelo is Counselor and
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