Predicting Women's Interest and Choice of an IT Career

2011 ◽  
pp. 1023-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth G. Creamer ◽  
Soyoung Lee ◽  
Peggy S. Meszaros ◽  
Carol J. Burger ◽  
Anne Laughlin
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Career Interests ◽  
Career Interest ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Engineering And Technology

Research has supported the need to develop separate models for predicting men’s and women’s career interests. Women’s career interests, particularly in nontraditional fields in science, engineering, and technology (SET), are considerably more difficult to predict than are men’s (O’Brien & Fassinger, 1993). A number of factors have a significant impact on women’s career interests and choices but have little effect in predicting men’s career interests (O’Brien, Friedman, Tipton, & Linn, 2000). One of the most striking gender differences is that there is a much weaker connection for women than for men between interests, enjoyment, and career choice (O’Brien & Fassinger). The failure to make this connection is one explanation for the troubling finding that the majority of young women express interest in sex-typical careers that do not match their skills and are far below their ability (O’Brien & Fassinger). Gender differences in the factors that predict career interest apply to the field of information technology as well. There are significant gender differences in all aspects of the IT pipeline, from how women become interested in the computing field to how they enter and remain in it, as documented by Almstrum (2003).

scholarly journals The Psychosocial Implications of Managing Work and Family Caregiving Roles: Gender Differences Among Information Technology Professionals

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1495-1519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole DePasquale ◽  
Courtney A. Polenick ◽  
Kelly D. Davis ◽  
Phyllis Moen ◽  
Leslie B. Hammer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Process Model ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Child Caregiving ◽  
Caregiving Roles

An increasing number of adults, both men and women, are simultaneously managing work and family caregiving roles. Guided by the stress process model, we investigate whether 823 employees occupying diverse family caregiving roles (child caregiving only, elder caregiving only, and both child caregiving and elder caregiving, or “sandwiched” caregiving) and their noncaregiving counterparts in the information technology division of a white-collar organization differ on several indicators of psychosocial stress along with gender differences in stress exposure. Compared with noncaregivers, child caregivers reported more perceived stress and partner strain whereas elder caregivers reported greater perceived stress and psychological distress. With the exception of work-to-family conflict, sandwiched caregivers reported poorer overall psychosocial functioning. Additionally, sandwiched women reported more family-to-work conflict and less partner support than their male counterparts. Further research on the implications of combining a white-collar employment role with different family caregiving roles is warranted.

scholarly journals Mental distress among young adults – gender differences in the role of social support

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rune Johansen ◽  
Mari Nicholls Espetvedt ◽  
Heidi Lyshol ◽  
Jocelyne Clench-Aas ◽  
Ingri Myklestad
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Regular Physical Activity

Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to examine to what extent observed gender differences in mental health are associated with the protective factors social support, sense of coherence and participation in regular physical activity and more generally, engagement in organized or unorganized activity with other people. Methods This study was based upon a cross-sectional regional health survey in Norway, conducted during the winter of 2015–2016, in three southern counties; Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder and Vestfold. The study focused on young adults, comparing three age groups; 18–24 years old (n = 624), 25–31 (n = 582), and 32–38 years old (n = 795). Results Sense of coherence was strongly associated with low mental distress in all age groups and for both genders, while the association between low social support and mental distress was significant for young women only. Regular physical activity was not positively associated with low mental distress when sense of coherence and social support were included in the analysis. Conclusion Social support appears to have a stronger role as a protective factor for mental distress among young women, compared to young men and older persons. This has implications for health promoting activities that target young women. Sense of coherence showed a strong association with low mental distress scores for all ages studied.

scholarly journals Choosing a Career in Psychiatry: Factors Associated with a Career Interest in Psychiatry among Canadian Students on Entry to Medical School

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 557-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margot C Gowans ◽  
Lee Glazier ◽  
Bruce J Wright ◽  
Fraser R Brenneis ◽  
Ian M Scott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Career Interest ◽  
The Arts ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Career Option

Objective: To report the proportion of Canadian medical students interested in a career in psychiatry at medical school entry and to describe the unique demographics and career influences associated with this early interest. Methods: From 2001 to 2004, during the first 2 weeks of medical school, a 41–item survey of career choice, demographics, and attitudes toward various aspects of medical practice was distributed to all students in 18 classes at 8 Canadian medical schools. Associations between early career interest, demographics, and career influences were explored. Results: Of the 2096 completed surveys, 3.2% of students named psychiatry as their first career choice. While 34% of students considered psychiatry a possible career option, 54.9% stated that they had not considered this option. Students interested in psychiatry were more likely than other students to have an undergraduate education in the arts, to have close family or friends practicing medicine, and to have worked voluntarily with people with mental illness. Students interested in psychiatry had a lesser social orientation than students interested in family medicine but had a greater social orientation and lesser hospital orientation than students interested in other specialties. Conclusions: Enhanced psychiatric care may be aided by the selective recruitment into medical school of students with a demonstrated empathy toward people with mental illness, an educational background in the arts, and a strong social orientation. As career influences change throughout medical school, participants in this study will be re-surveyed at graduation to better understand the evolution of career choice decision-making throughout medical school.

Computer Courses in Adult Education in a Gender Perspective

2010 ◽  
pp. 209-230
Author(s):  
Minna Salminen-Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Computer Education ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Equal Footing ◽  
Computer Competence ◽  
Adult Education Centres ◽  
Computer Courses

In this study of computer courses in municipal adult education, 173 questionnaires from 10 Swedish adult education centres with students taking a basic computer education course were analyzed. The main findings were that men consistently reported greater computer competence, while computer interest or computer attitudes did not show gender differences. The gender differences in computer competence were significant even in the youngest age group. Young women were also the most distinctive group by being the most dissatisfied. The idea that gender issues in adult computer education mainly concern computer reticent middle aged women while young women attend computer courses on a more equal footing with men does not hold in this sample. The results raise some practical questions, particularly in assessing the differences in computer competence and women’s feelings of inadequacy, taking advantage of women’s computer interest, and coming into terms with young women’s expectations.

Gender Differences in Ethics Perceptions in Information Technology

2008 ◽  
pp. 3433-3441
Author(s):  
Leone E. Woodcock ◽  
San Murugesan
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Ethical Perceptions ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Security Breaches ◽  
Males And Females

Greater emphasis is now placed on ethics in information technology (IT) which covers a broad range of issues such as privacy, honesty, trustworthiness, software reliability, data storage, the environment, security breaches, hacking, viruses, and acknowledging the intellectual property of others. Further, legal aspects tend to overlap ethics perceptions. For example, issues such as copying computer programs, music CDs, images, or videos are more than just ethical problems; they also pose legal problems. The ethical dimensions also extend to issues such as computer crime and fraud, information theft, and unauthorized information dissemination. These ethical issues are becoming more complex as continuing advances in IT present many new ethical situations and fresh dilemmas. Developments such as the Internet, electronic commerce, and wireless/mobile communications present a new set of ethical issues and challenge current of codes of ethics, copyright laws, and their authors. In addition, computer users’ ethical standards may also vary from one situation to another (Wikipedia, 2005). What is ethical is subjective, and more so in the areas of IT. Perceptions of ethics in IT vary to a degree from individual to individual. Further, there seems to be significant differences in the perception of ethics among males and females. According to Adam (2000), male and female judgment is most often influenced by their personal values and whether an action is considered legal. Woodcock (2002) conducted a study on ethical perceptions among 405 male and female students from universities, technical colleges, and schools in North-Eastern Australia and found significant differences in some ethical situations between males and females. This article presents common issues and dilemmas that confront IT professionals, students, and the general community. In particular, it presents gender differences in perceptions of ethics and legalities in IT and highlights the different ethical perceptions of male and female students. These insights are particularly significant as the ethical beliefs and perceptions that students have may influence their ethical behaviors during their working careers.

Parental Suport for Female IT Career Interest and Choice

2011 ◽  
pp. 963-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy S. Meszaros ◽  
Anne Laughlin ◽  
Elizabeth G. Creamer ◽  
Carol J. Burger ◽  
Soyoung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Female Children ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Male Model ◽  
Development Literature ◽  
Career Advising

Although adolescents become progressively independent from their parents in the high-school years, they continue to depend heavily on parents in the area of career development (Peterson, Stivers, & Peters, 1986; Sebald, 1989). The role of parental support in children’s career choice has been demonstrated empirically in the career-development literature (Altman, 1997; Fisher & Griggs, 1994; Ketterson & Blustein, 1997; Kracke, 1997; Way & Rossman, 1996). Researchers have found that parents impact career choice more than counselors, teachers, friends, other relatives, or people working in the field of interest (Kotrlik & Harrison, 1989), but are not adequately informed about how to help (Young, Friesen, & Borycki, 1994). Although parents hold a powerful role in the career advising of both their male and female children, most of the reported studies use a male model and focus. Researchers are beginning to develop a knowledge base for the career development of girls and the unique issues they face in deciding on a career. Greater understanding of these issues is urgent, especially as females are recruited into nontraditional fields like information technology. This article will review research on parental support for female career choice, including the research findings from the Women and Information Technology (WIT, 2002-2005) project funded by the National Science Foundation.

The Glass Ceiling in IT

2011 ◽  
pp. 733-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Haynes
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Glass Ceiling ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Management Level ◽  
Department Of Labor ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Number Of Publications

The term “glass ceiling,” first coined in 1986, is a metaphor for “those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions.” (U.S. Department of Labor, 1991, p. 1). In has been noted in a number of publications that information technology (IT) is a particularly enlightening field for the study of gender inequalities, such as the glass ceiling. For example, Ramsay (2000) noted that while inequalities in more established industries might be considered a historical leftover of obsolete gender stereotypes, the newness of computing presents researchers with the chance to examine how gender relations develop in an industry apparently less fettered by tradition. IT presents an exemplar case study for those who wished to examine “… whether the dynamics of disadvantage have their roots as deeply in today’s employment settings …” (Ramsay, 2000, p. 215). Research indicates that IT has, however, developed to reflect precisely the same forms of gendered inequalities that have been documented in older industries (Suriya, 2003). The metaphor of the glass ceiling is equally applicable to IT. Panteli, Stack, and Ramsay (2001), in a comment on the United Kingdom (UK), which nonetheless resonates internationally, state, “The growth in IT should have opened up new possibilities for women to enter these occupations. However, its growth so far has been used to construct and maintain gender differences and to sustain male hierarchies” (p. 15).

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