Gender and attitudes to work and family roles: the views of young people at the millennium

• Published in: Gender and education Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 129 - 142
• Main Authors: Tinklin, Teresa, Croxford, Linda, Ducklin, Alan, Frame, Barbara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor and Francis Ltd 01.05.2005; Taylor & Francis Group Journals; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Aspiration; Adolescents; Aspiration; Attitudes; Career Choice; Careers; Child care; Course Selection (Students); Education; Employment; Equal opportunities; Equal Opportunities (Jobs); Equal opportunity; Families & family life; Family; Family Influence; Family Roles; Female roles; Foreign Countries; Gender; Gender Differences; Gender equity; Gender inequalities; Gender inequality; Gender roles; Millennium; Occupational roles; Scotland; Secondary School Students; Sex Role Attitudes; Sex Roles; Sexual Inequality; Social Change; Student Attitudes; Teenagers; Women; Workplaces; Young Adults; Youth; United Kingdom (Scotland)
• ISSN: 0954-0253; 1360-0516
• DOI: 10.1080/0954025042000301429

The last century, in particular the latter half, saw radical shifts in the roles and expectations of women in society. This article investigates the views of 14- to 16-year-olds in the year 2000 on work and family roles, exploring both their general views on gender roles and their own personal aspirations for the future. In general the young people believed that it was equally important for males and females to get good qualifications at school, to have worthwhile careers and that childcare should be a joint responsibility. They also believed that males and females could do any job they wanted to these days. Their views were tempered, however, by the inequalities that they saw around them in the workplace and in their own families. While young people's attitudes may have changed, they are still choosing fairly gender-typical subjects at school and aspiring to different types of occupation. The article concludes that while great strides have been made in changing attitudes towards gender equality, there is still a long way to go before equal opportunities are really achieved.