This report describes the educational, occupational, and familial behavior a panel of
sixty-four women exhibited during the first seven yearsfollowing their college gradua
tion. Their career patterns are compared with the aspirations they held as seniors in
college. The findings reveal high consistency between senior aspirations and actual
behavior on some items, e.g., mariage and graduate school, but less consistency on
others, including occupational choice. Generally the women worked more often and
had children less frequently than they had anticipated. The actual life style patterns of
these women and their aspirations for the future result from the fact that women
pursue a contingency strategy in organizing their adult lives.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Almquist, E.M. (1977) "Review essay: women in the labor force." Signs: J. of Women in Culture and Society2: 843-855.
2.
--- and S.S. Angrist, (1971) "Role model influences on college women's career aspirations." Merrill-Palmer Q.17: 263-279.
3.
——— (1970) "Career salience and atypicality of occupational choice among college women." J. of Marriage and Family32: 242-249.
4.
Angrist, S.S. (1972a) "Changes in women's work aspirations during college ." Int. J. of Sociology of Family2: 87-97.
5.
——— (1972b) "Variations in women's adult aspirations during college." J. of Marriage and Family43: 465-468.
6.
——— and E.M. Almquist (1975) Careers and Contingencies: How College Women Juggle With Gender. New York: Dunellen .
7.
Angrist, S.S., J.R. Lave, and R.M. Mickelsen (1976) "How working mothers manage: Socioeconomic differences in work, child care and househld tasks." Social Sci. Q.4: 631-637.
8.
Becker, G.S. and H.G. Lewis (1973) 'On the interaction between the quantity and quality of children." J. of Pol. Economy81: 279-299.
9.
Brito, P.K. and C.L. Jusenius ( 1978) "A note on young women's occupational expectations for age 35." Vocational Guidance Q.27: 165-175.
10.
Crites, J.O. (1969) Vocational Psychology: The Study of Vocational Behavior and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill.
11.
Darian, J.C. (1976) "Factors influencing the rising labor force participation rates of married women with pre-school children." Social Sci. Q.56: 614-630.
12.
Galbraith, J.K. (1973) Economics and the Public Purpose. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
13.
Ginzberg, E., S.W. Ginsberg, S. Axelrod and J.L. Herma (1951) Occupational Choice: An Approach to a General Theory . New York: Columbia University Press.
14.
Holland, J.L. (1966) "A theory of vocational choice." J. of Counseling Psychology6: 35-45.
15.
Huber, J. (1976) "Studies in sex stratification." Social Sci. Q.4: 545-547.
16.
Long, L.H. ( 1974) "Women's labor force participation and residential mobility." Social Forces52: 342-348.
17.
Macke, A.S., P.M. Hudis, and D. Larrick (1978) "Sex-role attitudes and employment among women: Dynamic models of continuity and change," pp. 129-156 in National Commission for Manpower Policy, Women's Changing Roles at Home and on the Job. Special Report No. 26.
18.
McLaughlin, G.W., W.K. Hunt, and J.R. Montgomery (1976) "Socioeconomic status and career aspirations and perceptions of women seniors in high school." Vocational Guidance Q.25: 155-162.
19.
Miller, A.R. (1966) "Migration differentials in labor force participation, U.S. 1960." Demography1: 58-67.
20.
National Commission for Manpower Policy (1978 ) Women's Changing Roles at Home and on the Job: Proceedings of a Conference on the National Longitudinal Surveys of Mature Women. Special Report No. 26.
21.
O'Donnell, J. and D.G. Anderson (1978) "Factors influencing choice of major and career of capable women." Vocational Guidance Q.26: 214-221.
22.
Osipow, S.H. (1975) Emerging Women: Career Analysis and Outlooks. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.
23.
Parelius, A.P. (1975) "Emerging sex-role attitudes, expectations and strains among college women." J. of Marriage and Family37: 146-153.
24.
Pietrofesa, J.J. and H. Splete ( 1975) Career Development: Theory and Research. New York: Grune & Stratton.
25.
Super, D.E. (1953) "A theory of vocational development." Amer. Psychologist8: 185-190.
26.
Tangri, S.S. ( 1972) "Determinants of occupational role innovation among college women." J. of Social Issues28: 177-199.
27.
Waite, L.J. and R.M. Stolzenberg (1976) "Intended childbearing and labor force participation of young women: insights from non-recursive models ." Amer. Soc. Rev.41: 235-252.
