Who do you see fulfilling a technical profession?: The role of fathers’ gender-stereotypical expectations in their sons’ and daughters’ occupational aspirations, and the role of children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs as mediator in this relation

Despite the fact that girls are increasingly choosing technical subjects in high school, the vast majority who practices a technical profession is men. Current research examined the relation between fathers’ gendered expectations on their sons’ and daughters’ feminine and masculine occupational aspirations, and the role of the children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs in this relation. The resulting research question concerned: To what extent are the father’s gender-stereotypical expectations of professions related to his children’s gender-stereotypical occupational aspirations, and to what extent do his children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs about sciences mediate this relation? This question was expected to be answered by examining a sample of 100 Dutch families. Two children from each family, one aged 15 and one aged 17, participated and were asked to complete the OAT-PM and the IAT. The OAT-AM was administered to their fathers. The results showed no relations between either the...Show moreDespite the fact that girls are increasingly choosing technical subjects in high school, the vast majority who practices a technical profession is men. Current research examined the relation between fathers’ gendered expectations on their sons’ and daughters’ feminine and masculine occupational aspirations, and the role of the children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs in this relation. The resulting research question concerned: To what extent are the father’s gender-stereotypical expectations of professions related to his children’s gender-stereotypical occupational aspirations, and to what extent do his children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs about sciences mediate this relation? This question was expected to be answered by examining a sample of 100 Dutch families. Two children from each family, one aged 15 and one aged 17, participated and were asked to complete the OAT-PM and the IAT. The OAT-AM was administered to their fathers. The results showed no relations between either the father’s gender-stereotypical expectations of professions and his children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs about sciences, nor between the children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs about sciences and their own gender-stereotypical occupational aspirations. However, it was found that the adolescent daughter’s masculine occupational aspirations were higher when their father had less gender-stereotypical ideas about professions. It was concluded that future research should explore the relation between the father’s implicit gender stereotypes and his children’s gender-stereotypical occupational aspirations further in other social-cultural contexts, and examine the role of explicit gender stereotypes of the child as a mediator in this relation.Show less

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Who do you see fulfilling a technical profession? The role of fathers’ gender-stereotypical expectations in their sons’ and daughters’ occupational aspirations, and the role of children’s gender-stereotypical beliefs as mediator in this relation