Career, Marriage, and Family Aspirations of Young Black College Women

The Baby Blanket or the Briefcase: The Impact of Evangelical Gender Role Ideologies on Career and Mothering Aspirations of Female Evangelical College Students

“…The first research question asked whether young Evangelical women jointly held career and mothering aspirations. Previous research has found that women are seeking a combination of home and career roles, striving to be both a mother and a professional (Bronzaft 1991;Colaner and Warner 2005;Hochschild 1989). However, results from this sample indicated that there is a negative correlation between mothering and career aspirations.…”

“…Such a lack of dual aspirations is especially interesting given the age of the sample. College-age women are at the crossroads of pursuing a career and formulating long-term family goals, including the possibility of pursuing a mate (Bronzaft 1991). However, the fact that this group of women is not experiencing tension between these opposing desires may suggest that Evangelical gender role ideologies are more salient for these women than the actual choices they will have to make in the future.…”

“…A more varied sample could give more information to the factors affecting career and mothering aspirations. Bronzaft (1991) found that African American women had high levels of aspirations for both career and family; combining Bronzaft's findings with the element of religiosity would be telling of this specific population. Similar combinations of religion and ethnicity would also be beneficial.…”

“…This trend has been steadily present in national statistics since the feminist movement; currently, over 50% of mothers with children under the age of one are in the workforce (Bachu 2000). Women claim that they "want it all" and proceed to function in both a home and career role (Bronzaft 1991;Hoffnung 2004). However, combined aspirations often result in a compromise of career goals.…”

“…Early models looked to single variables as influencers of female aspirations (Astin 1984;Gottfredson 1981;Hackett and Betz 1981;Rainey and Borders 1997); however, researchers have since concluded that comprehensive, multidimensional models containing both individual and societal factors are the most accurate approach to analyzing aspiration development (Fassinger 1990;O'Brien and Fassinger 1993). Factors that have been shown to influence aspirations include dating relationships (Meinster and Rose 2001), social networks (Basow and Howe 1980;Hallinan and Williams 1990), parental upbringing (Kerpelman and Schvaneveldt 1999;Schroeder et al 1992), ethnicity (Bronzaft 1991), and intellectual capability (Garman and Plant 1975;Lyson and Brown 1982). These factors give valuable insight into life aspirations, especially when considered in conjunction with one another; however, it is probable that the traditional roles emphasized within the church also impact such aspirations.…”