Determining career orientations in women from different social-class backgrounds - Swinburne Research Bank : Open Access Repository

My Folder (0)

Add to My Folder

Permanent link: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/34427

Check Swinburne's subscriptions for full text availability

Title: Determining career orientations in women from different social-class backgrounds
Author(s): Poole, Millicent E.; Langan-Fox, Janice; Omodei, Mary
Abstract: This study examines career orientations in women from high- and low-socioeconomic status backgrounds, using a longitudinal data set collected over a period of 10 years, from 1973 to 1982. When first contacted, respondents were 18 years of age. The final data collection in 1982 resulted in a sample of some 1300 women. The longitudinal data were analyzed using LISREL structural equation modeling and were guided by a theoretical framework developed by Krumboltz (1981) which focuses on the process of decision-making. Results from the study indicated that there were effects of social-class background in the development of women's career orientations, over the secondary school-early career development stage. Group differences in determinants of orientation were found for political attitudes, occupational interests, senior school achievement, and professional attainment. Differences were also found in the influence of motivational tendencies and work satisfaction on model variables for the two groups of women. The benefit of the decision-making theoretical framework and its further development for use in studies of career development generally are discussed.
Publication Type: Journal article
Source: Sex Roles, Vol. 23, no. 9-10 (Nov 1990), p. 471-490
Publication Year: 1990
Keyword(s): Behavioural science; Careers; Sex roles; Women
Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00289763
ISSN: 0360-0025
Additional Information: Grateful acknowledgment is given to the Australian Research Grants Committee, who supported the present project. The authors wish to thank Emeritus Professor David Beswick of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne, for the use of data from the Career Development Project.
Peer Reviewed