Longitudinal associations between gender-typed skills and interests and their links to occupational outcomes

Abstract

Although gender-based occupational segregation has declined in past decades, the world of work remains segregated by gender. Grounded in research showing that individuals tend to choose jobs that match their interests and skills, this study examined the longitudinal associations between gendered activity interests and skills from middle childhood through adolescence and tested gendered interests and skills, measured in adolescence, as predictors of occupational outcomes in young adulthood. Data were collected from 402 participants at four time points— when they averaged 10, 12, 16, and 25 years old. Results revealed that the longitudinal linkages between male-typed interests and skills were bidirectional, that both male-typed interests and skills in adolescence predicted working in male-typed occupations in young adulthood, and that skills, but not interests, predicted income. In contrast, female-typed interests predicted female-typed skills, but not the reverse, adolescent female-typed skills (but not interests) predicted working in female-typed occupations in young adulthood, and there were no links between female-typed interests or skills and income. Discussion focuses on the differential meanings and developmental implications of male-versus female-typed interests and skills.

Children's Career Expectations and Parents' Jobs: Intergenerational (Dis)continuities

“…Counselors can use direct and indirect practices aimed at broadening children's career exploration and preventing circumscription of career options rooted in intergenerational gender and socioeconomic affordances (Peila‐Shuster, 2018). Career practices could encourage children to more flexibly use in‐breadth career exploration free from barriers defined by gender and socioeconomic status or the particular career interests defined by their parents' jobs (Gottfredson, 1996; Lee et al, 2015). Children's interaction with workers engaged in gender‐atypical jobs and/or those in different social classes would be important to foster children's career adaptability (Ginevra et al, 2018).…”

“…Many jobs continue to show male (e.g., auto mechanics) and female (e.g., preschool teachers) dominance in the workforce. These gender disparities have been traced back to gendered career aspirations during childhood (Corrigall & Konrad, 2007; Lee, Lawson, & McHale, 2015). Sons' aspirations for male‐dominated occupations have been related to their fathers' employment in male‐dominated jobs (Schuette, Ponton, & Charlton, 2012).…”

The Development and Correlates of Gender Role Orientations in African‐American Youth

“…And, the multiple dimensions of gender—including values, personal‐social characteristics, interests, and activities—may be subject to differing influences and so change in different ways across development (McHale, Kim, Dotterer, Crouter, & Booth, ; Ruble et al., ). To begin to capture its multidimensionality, our first study goal was to chart the course of three dimensions of gender development that may have both concurrent and longer‐term implications for youth's adjustment, achievement, and life choices (Cooper, Guthrie, Brown, & Metzger, ; Crockett & Beal, ; Lee, Lawson, & McHale, ): gendered personality characteristics (expressivity and instrumentality), interests in gender stereotypical activities, and gender role attitudes.…”

“…Interest in stereotypically feminine and masculine activities is one of the first gender differences to emerge, and gendered interests in childhood have been shown to have long‐term implications for education and occupational achievement in young adulthood (Lee et al., ). Research with majority White youth shows that both boys and girls are less interested in cross‐gendered activities than same‐gendered activities, although girls display more flexible activity interests than boys (Lee et al., ; Ruble et al., ).…”

“…Interest in stereotypically feminine and masculine activities is one of the first gender differences to emerge, and gendered interests in childhood have been shown to have long‐term implications for education and occupational achievement in young adulthood (Lee et al., ). Research with majority White youth shows that both boys and girls are less interested in cross‐gendered activities than same‐gendered activities, although girls display more flexible activity interests than boys (Lee et al., ; Ruble et al., ). Longitudinal research has documented stable gender differences from childhood through late adolescence, but overall declines in both masculine‐ (math, sports) and feminine‐ (reading, dance) typed activity interests for both genders that may reflect increasing specialization of interests across development (Jacobs, Lanza, Osgood, Eccles, & Wigfield, ; McHale et al., ).…”