Ugandan adolescents’ gender stereotype knowledge about jobs

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ugandan adolescents ages 11- to 17-years-old (N = 201; 48% girls; M age = 14.62) answered closed- and open-ended questions about occupational gender segregation, allowing researchers to assess their gender stereotype knowledge. Adolescents answered 38 closed-ended questions such as ‘who is more likely to be a doctor?’ and were asked to list masculine, feminine, and gender-neutral jobs. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and thematic coding. Findings indicated that adolescents were fairly egalitarian about jobs and there were no differences in occupational stereotype knowledge between males and females. Findings present reasons for hope and for continued work toward gender equality in Uganda. Results may inform interventions that foster egalitarian gender attitudes. Future work could explore adolescents’ stereotype endorsement and occupational aspirations.