Abstract:
This study examined the gender socialisation process among ten recent high school
graduates and the reasoning behind their chosen career paths. Three institutions: the
family, school, and media, were examined to explore how these institutions could possibly
have affected the participants’ career choices. This was accomplished through qualitative
research by conducting in-depth interviews among five nursing students (three females
and two males) and five engineering students (three females and two males) who were 18
or 19 years of age. The interviews revealed that the participants were aware of current
gender stereotypes and had experienced gender socialisation through bedroom décor
and/or parental roles. The interviews further revealed ‘influencers’ (such as one’s peer
group or a close relative) as a significant factor leading males into nursing and females
into engineering. Participants within each program revealed differences in personal
definitions of success and thoughts on work-family balance.