How gender norms shape career choices
Traditional gender norms influence young people's career choices, which can lead to untapped potential and problems such as dropping out of training. A study led by Prof. Uschi Backes-Gellner shows ways to avoid this. Text: Patricia Pálffy, Patrick Lehnert, Uschi Backes-Gellner
Why are STEM professions rarely chosen by girls and healthcare professions rarely chosen by boys? This question is the focus of a research project by Patricia Pálffy, Prof. Patrick Lehnert and Prof. Uschi Backes-Gellner from the Institute of Business Administration, which is dedicated to the gender-specific career choices of young people. Specifically, the study examines the role that social gender norms - i.e. social expectations of the behavior of women and men - play in young people's career choices. It also investigated how such biases can be reduced in the application process.
The trend towards gender-specific career choices leads to two major economic and social problems: Firstly, it reinforces gender-specific inequalities in the labor market, as male-dominated professions are often associated with better wages or career opportunities. Secondly, a large potential pool of skilled workers remains untapped if young people choose a profession based on social expectations, contrary to their actual skills or individual interests. occupation contrary to their actual abilities or individual interests. This can lead to an increased shortage of skilled workers in companies or to young people dropping out of training, job dissatisfaction and lower individual productivity.
Boys are more influenced by gender norms
The results show that more traditional regional gender norms actually reinforce a stereotypical career choice stereotypical career choices for boys, but this is not the case for girls. What does this mean? A male adolescent from St. Gallen, for example, would be 11.6 percent more likely to choose a “female profession” if the gender norms in St. Gallen were identical to the less traditional gender norms in Geneva. For girls, on the other hand, there are no effects of regional gender norms. In comparison, the results therefore suggest that the campaigns conducted over decades to sensitize of girls to choose a gender-atypical STEM profession were effective, as the correlation is not evident for girls. For boys, on the other hand, for whom there were no comparable campaigns, the correlation is very strong. In order to counteract gender-specific biased career choices in the future biased career choices in the future, young males must also be made more aware of professions outside of traditional male gender roles. To compare the effectiveness of campaigns for boys and girls, the three researchers have initiated further current cooperation projects with the “Yousty” platform. There, they are analyzing the different possibilities of companies and matching algorithms to reduce bias.
Dr. Patricia Pálffy, Prof. Patrick Lehnert and Prof. Uschi Backes-Gellner work at the Institute of Business Administration at UZH. The study is part of the “Swiss Leading House VPET-ECON”, which is dedicated to the economic research and further development of vocational education and training.
For more information, please visit www.oec.uzh.ch/social-norms
Source: Oec. magazine issue #22