The Impact of Stereotypes on Girls’ Career Choices Katie Mundt
Discrepancies in the occupations held by men and women persist, despite the fact that more women are entering the workforce than ever before (Schieder & Gould, 2016). Specifically, women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (Beede et al., 2011), which results in both social and economic consequences, such as women losing key pathways for innovation and opting out of the higher-paying jobs present in such fields (Shuster & Martiny, 2016). The most prominent factor influencing girls to choose stereotypical career paths in healthcare, early education, and domestic (HEED) fields appears to be gender stereotypes, which are widely held beliefs and expectations about acceptable behaviors for males and females (Schieder & Gould, 2016). Beginning in early childhood, girls internalize negative gender stereotypes about their academic abilities, and these beliefs persist throughout essential periods of development, ultimately influencing their academic motivations and subsequent career choices (Olsson & Martiny, 2018). Additionally, the paucity of prominent female STEM professionals, who could serve as role models for young girls to emulate, contributes to girls’ acceptance of stereotypes and later pursuit of traditional gendered jobs (Morgenroth et al., 2015; Olsson & Martiny, 2018; Shin, 2016). In order to increase gender equality in the STEM fields, there must be a more robust understanding of how gender stereotypes impact girls’ motivation and perceptions of themselves, which leads to the question: How does exposure to gender stereotypes and female role models influence girls’ academic self-concept and subsequent career decisions? Gender Stereotypes and Academic Self-Concept Gender stereotypes regarding academic abilities, such as the common notion that females are innately bad at science and math, are largely influential in girls’ career decisions (Nosek et al., 2008). The internalization of these negative stereotypes later contributes to girls’ academic self-concept (i.e., evaluations of their academic abilities and performance; Ertl et al., 2017). Academic self-concept, in turn, influences career decisions through the expectancy-value theory of achievementmotivation, which posits that people make decisions about which activities to pursue based on their beliefs about how well they will perform (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). According to this theory, girls will be motivated to choose courses of study for career paths that they believe they will thrive in based on the stereotypes with which they are presented (Ertl et al., 2017; Wigfield et al., 2002). One specific way in which stereotypes negatively impact girls’ academic self-concept is through stereotype threat (i.e., the risk that members of traditionally
marginalized groups might confirm a negative generalization about their group; Ertl et al., 2017; Steele & Aronson, 1995). Specifically, when girls are presented with and internalize stereotypes about their academic abilities, they tend to perform worse in science and math subjects compared to their male peers (Shapiro & Williams, 2012). It is precisely this combination of decreased performance and subsequent lower academic self-concept that disincentivizes girls to pursue STEM related studies and careers (Ertl et al., 2017; Rost et al., 2005; Shapiro & Williams, 2012; Steele & Aronson, 1995). Gender stereotypes also influence academic self-concept through social relationships and interactions (Ertl et al., 2017; Rost et al., 2005). Specifically, parents and teachers project their own gender stereotypes onto children through their assessment and appraisal of academic abilities that align with the stereotype (Ertl et al., 2017). For example, when girls receive encouragement for their success in traditionally femaledominated subjects (e.g., English or history), they further internalize these stereotypes into their academic self-concepts (Ertl et al., 2017). Sometimes, these stereotypes exert such a powerful influence on girls’ perceptions of the world that they are unaware of opportunities in traditionally male sectors, such as STEM fields (Eccles, 1994). This lack of awareness may translate to a complete dismissal of nontraditional career paths (e.g., in STEM), further contributing to the gender gap (Eccles, 1994). Clearly, gender stereotypes perpetuated through social relationships have exceptional influence over girls’ academic self-concept, in turn leading them to pursue careers that align with traditional gender stereotypes to which they are exposed (Eccles, 1994; Ertl et al., 2017). Female Role Models and Academic Self-Concept Another determinant of academic self-concept is the absence or presence of role models (i.e., people in particular roles who exemplify ideal behaviors associated with their role). Moreover, the presence of a role model may have exceptional influence on members of disadvantaged groups (Morgenroth et al., 2015). Specifically, role models in nontraditional roles can break stereotypes, in turn altering girls’ perceptions of gender stereotypes and ultimately resulting in a more positive outcome for girls’ motivation to pursue nontraditional career paths (Olsson & Martiny, 2018; Quimby & DeSantis, 2006; Smith & Erb, 1986). Through observing counter-stereotypical role models similar to them (i.e., female professionals in science), girls’ attitudes toward their abilities and the roles they are fit to fill are altered (Gilbert, 1985; Stout et al., 2011). As attitudes about ability have been shown to predict career choices (Ertl et Gender & Development • 7
