Career Development Theories for Women

Career Development Theories for Women Women’s career development is different from men’s for at least two reasons. Gender stereotypes can affect women to underestimate career possibilities, and childrearing responsibilities of motherhood can complicate her a woman’s balance of career and homemaking roles. Coogan and Chen (2007) think that Gottfredson’s theory of self-creation, circumscription, and compromise, and the social cognitive career theory, and Super’s life-span and life-space theories can be used to understand women’s psychological path of career decision making. Counselors can apply principles of these theories to assist career development of women (192-193). Gottfredson’s theoretical models (1981, 2002, 2005, as cited by Sharf, 2010) explain how childhood gender role beliefs involve individuals’ career choices. Children form self-concept through early childhood to adolescence. As early as lower years of elementary school, children think about their socia l selves and discard occupations that are incompatible with their sex roles. By the years of secondary school, these children also put value on social appraisals, and reject jobs which unfit their own social classes and family expectations. By the adolescence years, in consequence, they seek jobs within their gender roles, social classes, and family expectations (, 199-206). For example, an elementary school girl eliminates truck driver as a career option because this job does not match her gender role. Later, this girl also eliminates factory worker because this job does not match her family background. In consequence, she chooses nurse because this job matches her gender role, social class, and family approval (Sharf, 2010, 199-206). Social cognitive career theory also explains how gender stereotypes influence women’s career developments. Social cognitive career theory is was originated in by Bandura’s 1986 social cognitive theory(as cited by Sharf, 2010) and the cor e concept is self-efficacy, which is self-belief of abilities and capacities to accomplish something (specific page number needed here). (Don’t put all the rest of the dates as those are just each year after the first year Bandura updated or revised his publications.) Cultural and gender role expectations within one’s contextual, as well as immediate environment, such as availability of role models, counselors or financial support etc., affects his/her level of self-efficacy and career goal setting (as cited in Sharf, 2010, 393-398). As this is more of a 2nd hand citation, you need to clearly show it as such. And, 393 to 398 is too great a page spread. You need a more specific page number(s). Women with low self-efficacy for the world of work are known as to seek traditionally female dominated jobs, and limit possibilities of job satisfactions and earn high salary (Coogan and Hackett & Betz, 1981, as cited by Sharf, 2010) emphasizes importance of immediate environment . Counselors can influence women clients to enhance their level of self-efficacy on the field of nontraditional female occupations, and subjects of math and science by teaching them that fears of these areas are only socialized gender stereotypes (401). Encouragement is influential for shaping one’s self-efficacy and career goal setting. Whitmarsh, et al. (2007) compared two groups of women. One group was consisted from professors, physicians, and attorneys. These occupations are traditionally dominated by men but getting explored by women. Another group is consisted from social workers and teachers. These occupations are traditionally dominated by women. Women with preceding group said that they received strong encouragements from not only their family members, but also educators and counselors to pursuit these careers, while women with the other group said that they received messages from family members that these careers are suitable for women (230, 233).