The Sex Factor in Occupational Choice

Abstract

This article first examines the extent to which a sex-differentiated dual labour market exists in Australia with males being concentrated in different types of occupations from those of females. Factors affecting women's occupational choices are reviewed and the article goes on to report findings on the differences between Western Australian male and female students' occupational aspirations and expectations. It shows that most male and female students clustered into occupations that are traditionally seen as sex stereotyped but there was significant overlap in the occupations chosen by both males and females. The three occupations chosen most often by females were teaching, nursing and therapy and those by males were teaching, accounting and engineering. Occupational features which females selected involved the characteristics of helping others and working with people while males more often selected features which would provide high income, prestige and freedom from close supervision. The findings suggest that although there is a slight movement away from sex stereotyped career choices by these students, the indication for the future is that a sex segregated labour market will persist in Western Australia.

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