Gender Roles and Women's Achievement-Related Decisions

TLDR

Occupational sex segregation persists, with women’s and men’s career paths continuing to differ. The study proposes a model explaining persistent gender‑role linked occupational trends, reviews supporting evidence and the costs of traditional female choices, and suggests interventions to promote a gender‑fair social system. The model links occupational choices to expectations for success and subjective task value, mediated by gender‑role socialization, self‑schemas, and anticipated role and task demands. The study highlights the importance of subjective task value and calls for research on women’s achievement‑related choices from their own perspective.

Abstract

Occupational sex segregation continues to exist and the occupational career paths of women and men continue to differ. This article proposes a model to explain these persistent, gender-role linked trends, summarizes evidence to support the proposed mediating psychological mechanisms, and discusses the social experiences that shape gender differences on these mediators. In addition, the article reviews the economic and psychological costs often associated with the traditional female choices and proposes interventions aimed at achieving a more gender—fair social system that does not devalue traditionally female domains. The proposed model links occupational choices to expectations for success and subjective task value, which, in turn, are linked to gender-role socialization, self schemas, and anticipated role and task demands. The importance of subjective task value is stressed, as is the need to study women's achievement-related choices from the women's perspective.