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The role of friends in career compromise: Same-gender friendship intensifies gender differences in educational choice

Sinclair, Samantha LU ; Carlsson, Rickard LU and Björklund, Fredrik LU orcid (2014) In Journal of Vocational Behavior 84(2). p.109-118
Abstract
We propose a mechanism of how the desire to maintain friendships can intensify gender differences in educational choice. The required conditions for this mechanism would be that (1) adolescent males and females differ in their overall educational preferences, (2) wanting to stay close to friends motivates some adolescents to adjust their educational choice in line with their friends' choices, and (3) adolescents have a higher share of same-gender, than other-gender, friends. Study 1 confirmed that these criteria were met, and Study 2 found an association between friendship priority and gender typed field of study. In conclusion, adjusting educational choices in order to maintain friendships put adolescents at risk of compromising their... (More)
We propose a mechanism of how the desire to maintain friendships can intensify gender differences in educational choice. The required conditions for this mechanism would be that (1) adolescent males and females differ in their overall educational preferences, (2) wanting to stay close to friends motivates some adolescents to adjust their educational choice in line with their friends' choices, and (3) adolescents have a higher share of same-gender, than other-gender, friends. Study 1 confirmed that these criteria were met, and Study 2 found an association between friendship priority and gender typed field of study. In conclusion, adjusting educational choices in order to maintain friendships put adolescents at risk of compromising their true career interests, and also becomes an obstacle to a gender balanced labor market. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
educational choice, gender differences, friendship, gender segregation, career choice
in
Journal of Vocational Behavior
volume
84
issue
2
pages
109 - 118
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000333499300002
  • scopus:84894092449
ISSN
1095-9084
DOI
10.1016/j.jvb.2013.12.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1a14b806-bc82-456e-a129-3cabaf6fe075 (old id 4247186)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:59:30
date last changed
2022-03-12 01:04:09
@article{1a14b806-bc82-456e-a129-3cabaf6fe075,
  abstract     = {{We propose a mechanism of how the desire to maintain friendships can intensify gender differences in educational choice. The required conditions for this mechanism would be that (1) adolescent males and females differ in their overall educational preferences, (2) wanting to stay close to friends motivates some adolescents to adjust their educational choice in line with their friends' choices, and (3) adolescents have a higher share of same-gender, than other-gender, friends. Study 1 confirmed that these criteria were met, and Study 2 found an association between friendship priority and gender typed field of study. In conclusion, adjusting educational choices in order to maintain friendships put adolescents at risk of compromising their true career interests, and also becomes an obstacle to a gender balanced labor market.}},
  author       = {{Sinclair, Samantha and Carlsson, Rickard and Björklund, Fredrik}},
  issn         = {{1095-9084}},
  keywords     = {{educational choice; gender differences; friendship; gender segregation; career choice}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{109--118}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Vocational Behavior}},
  title        = {{The role of friends in career compromise: Same-gender friendship intensifies gender differences in educational choice}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2013.12.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jvb.2013.12.007}},
  volume       = {{84}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}