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The ongoing battle of the sexes
We look at non-traditional careers for hygienists and oral health therapists and how to challenge the barriers to women’s career development
By Melanie Hayes
I AM OFTEN contacted for career advice because of my own varied career path, which involves clinical care, teaching, research and professional advocacy. However, I felt unprepared to assist people and their queries, and that led me on the path to complete formal study in career development. When I talk with colleagues, graduates and even students about their personal career development, it is clear from these conversations that their university degrees are only preparing them for a single career outcome, and graduates are unaware that the range of attributes they possess would be transferrable to a variety of occupations or career pathways – which is what lead me to write this regular column.
However, it would be naïve to assume that recognising your abilities and attributes is enough for successful career development. Despite improvements in workplace equity, issues in career development exist for many sub-populations, including females. While dental hygiene and oral health is still a predominantly female career, those seeking non-traditional career pathways may encounter gender biases that impact on women’s career development. This edition I will explore the issues that impact on women in the broader working environment.
Identifying the barriers
Gender stereotypes have long influenced the development of women’s careers. Beliefs that women should raise children and keep a tidy home have limited both educational opportunities and job roles for females. However, labour force statistics indicate that in today’s society women participate significantly in paid employment, and being a ‘traditional’ homemaker is now the exception rather than the rule (Betz, 2006). It is accepted in recent literature that both men and women in their pursuit of a satisfying life can balance both work and family commitments; in fact research has demonstrated that there is a strong symbiotic relationship between our career and personal lives (Betz, 2006). However, women’s involvement in the workforce continues to be vastly different from men; women are more likely to work in part-time roles, are under-represented in non traditional roles, have lower salaries than their male counterparts, and are expected to maintain significant home duties (Betz, 2006; Patton, 1997a). Studies of specific occupations such as academia have demonstrated that only a tiny percentage fill senior positions, and that difficulties with managing career and home life actually creates conflict (Foster, 2001).
A number of socialised barriers to women’s career development have been identified in the literature. There are still many gender biases perceived by society; roles such as nurses (and dental hygienists) are considered feminine, while engineers and physicists more masculine (Betz, 2006). As such, females often feel that they are not adequate to pursue certain careers, or that it is not important given they will one day raise a family (Patton, 1997a). Such beliefs result in the avoidance of educational avenues, poor confidence levels and having low career expectations (Patton, 1997a). This is particularly noteworthy for hygienists and OHTs that are considering career pathways in academia, research, management and business. Self-efficacy is essential for exploring a variety of career options; conversely low self-efficacy results in a perceived lack of opportunity (Betz, 2006). In other words – we need to build each other up and support one another to ensure success!
While blatant or explicit discrimination is unlawful, covert discrimination is an ongoing concern for females. The advancement of a woman’s career can be influenced by the social cognitions of its organisation; for instance assumptions on leadership capabilities of males and females can influence progression, however these may be subtle and therefore unchallenged (Kottke & Agars, 2005). Ignoring the need for gender equity in education has been referred to as “passive discrimination” (Betz, 2006). For some women who are the successful minority in non-traditional roles or “breaking through the glass ceiling”, this can create barriers; as the ‘token’ female they can experience isolation and a lack of belonging, insufficient support and even hostility (Betz, 2006). Despite improvements in equal opportunity policies in many workplaces, there is a skepticism about how these policies are actually implemented, especially in institutions which are overwhelmingly patriarchal (Foster, 2001). There have been changes in workplace practices, with an increase in work-family initiatives to counteract some of the barriers women experience in their career development; while these are positively received there are many cases of unsuccessful programs, mainly attributed to the failure of organisations to recognise the underlying factors affecting gender inequity (Kottke & Agars, 2005).
The good news
Women have an important role to play in society, and this includes the workplace. They display many positive attributes which assist them in career decisionmaking and transitions, including persistence, connection, and passion (Betz, 2006). A qualitative study of older women exploring career narratives uncovered positive attributes such as tenacity, resilience and the ability to adapt (Bimrose et.al, 2014b), despite the perception of numerous barriers.
What we can do
There are a number of positive influences on women’s career development we can engage with. A recent qualitative study of older women identified that lifelong learning, chance events, and social influences impacted on their career journeys (Bimrose, McMahon & Watson, 2014a). Being a part of your professional community and attending education events is one way you can achieve this positive effect. As there are multiple biases and issues that impact women’s career development, I would encourage those seeking nontraditional career paths to seek multiple mentors, with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Alternatively, career counsellors can play an important role in helping women understand the impacts on their career development, and develop positive skills to overcome perceived barriers.
References Betz, N. (2006). Basic issues and concepts in the career development and counseling of women. Handbook of career counseling for women, 2, 45-74. Bimrose, J. & Brown, A. (2014a) Mid career progression and development: the role for career guidance and counselling. In Arulmani, G., Bakshi, A. J., Leong, F. T., & Watts, A. G. (Eds). Handbook of Career Development: International Perspectives (pp 203-222). New York, NY: Springer. Bimrose, J., Watson, M., McMahon, M., Haasler, S., Tomassini, M., & Suzanne, P. A. (2014b). The problem with women? Challenges posed by gender for career guidance practice. International journal for educational and vocational guidance, 14(1), 77-88. Foster N. (2001) A case study of women academics’ views on equal opportunities, career prospects and work-family conflicts in a UK university. Career Development International, 6(1), 28-38. Kottke J.L., Agars M.D. (2005) Understanding the processes that facilitate and hinder efforts to advance women in organisations. Career Development International, 10(3), 190-202. Patton, W. (1997a) Women’s career development. In Patton, W. & McMahon M. (Eds) Career development in practice: a systems theory perspective. (pp. 37-46). North Sydney, NSW: New Hobsons Press.
