Social values and the choice of careers in industry

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire survey of students at Bath University. Those doing social science were more anti‐industrial in their social values than students of management, engineering and economics. Social science students tended to prefer non‐industrial jobs congruent with their values. Anti‐industrial values were highly correlated with career choice after controlling for degree course. It was concluded that choice of course and career choice may be explained as part of the process of political socialization and hence rooted in experiences in early adolescence.