A sociological investigation of gender and non-gender specific career choices by young adults in Saint John, Canada

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.