Abstract
Questionnaires that assessed family background, educational goals, career goals, preferred and expected career commitment, and sex-role attitudes were completed by 763 male and female undergraduates. The women expressed significantly more nontraditional goals and attitudes than women in previous studies, but the female respondents' goals and attitudes differ significantly from their male classmates. The correlations between several sex-role-related goals and attitudes are significant for both men and women. Parents' educational attainment, mothers' careers, and religious upbringing are the background variables that most strongly predict traditional/nontraditional goals and sex-role attitudes. The predictive powers of the background traits differ for men and women, and these results are often inconsistent with results of previous studies. Implications for related research are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Almquist, E. M. Sex stereotypes in occupational choice: The case for college women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1974, 5, 13–21.
Astin, H. S. Career development of girls during the high school years. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1968, 15, 536–540.
Baird, L. L., Clark, M. & Hartnett, R. T. The graduates: A report on the plans and characteristics of college seniors. Princeton Educational Testing Service, 1973. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 093 185).
Broverman, I. K., Vogel, S. R., Brovermen, D. M., Clarkson, F. E., & Rosenkrantz, P. S. Sex-role stereotypes: A current appraisal. Journal of Social Issues, 1972, 28, 59–78.
Doyle, J. A. Attitudes toward feminism — Forty years later. Sex Roles, 1976, 2, 399–400.
Erickson, L. G. & Nordin, M. L. Sex role ideologies and career salience of college women. Manhattan, Kansas: Kansas State University, 1974. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 095 449).
Garfinkle, S. H. Occupations of women and black workers, 1962–74. Monthly Labor Review, 1975, 98, 24–34.
Hoffman, L. W., & Nye, F. I. Working mothers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1974.
Karman, F. J. Women: Personal and environmental factors in role identification and career choices. Los Angeles: University of California, Center for the Study of Evaluation, 1973. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 084 383).
Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R., & Stapp, J. A short version of the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS). Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1973, 2, 219–220.
Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R., & Stapp, J. Ratings of self and peers on sex role attributes and their relation to self-esteem and conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 32, 29–39.
Zuckerman, D. M. Challenging the traditional female role: An exploration of women's attitudes and career aspirations. Columbus: Ohio State University, 1977. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 134 787)
Zuckerman, D. M. Sex-role related goals and attitudes of minority students: A study of black college women and reentry students. Journal of College Student Personnel, 1981, 22, 23–30.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This article is based in part on the author's doctoral dissertation, submited to The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology, August 1977. The author wishes to thank Susan R. Vogel and Martha Romeskie for their thoughtful criticisms of an earlier draft of this article, and committee members Samuel Osipow, Saul Siegel, Nancy Betz, and Mari Jones for their assistance with the dissertation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zuckerman, D.M. Family background, sex-role attitudes, and life goals of technical college and university students. Sex Roles 7, 1109–1126 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287588
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287588