Nontraditional Career Research Articles

Web-based Mentoring: Challenging traditional models to increase women's access

Mentoring relationships can support college students as they strive to develop a sense of career-related identity. However, many students, especially college women pursuing non-traditional careers such as those in the sciences, face barriers to mentoring. Advances in technology-supported mentoring have increased students' access to mentoring opportunities. Many technology-supported mentoring initiatives are designed with only the traditional dyadic mentoring model in mind, which is limiting. When an alternative networking mentoring model provides the conceptual framework for web-based programmes, new opportunities to gain access to mentoring become visible, and the benefits for mentors and students alike are extended and amplified. Caveats, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Testing a Model of Men's Nontraditional Occupational Choices

Researchers have compiled an extensive body of literature on the factors that influence the “traditionality,” or the gender typical nature, of women's career choices. However, little has been written about the variables that might influence men to enter gender atypical occupations. This study tested L. H. Chusmir's (1990) model of men's nontraditional occupational choice, using a longitudinal sample of college‐age men in both gender traditional and nontraditional occupations. Liberal social attitudes, degree aspirations at Time 2, and socioeconomic status were directly predictive of nontraditional career choice, whereas the importance of a prestigious career at Time 1 and academic ability had an indirect influence on whether a traditional career choice was made.

Women's experiences of non-traditional employment: is gender equality in this area a possibility?

Currently, skills shortages are prompting the UK government to introduce initiatives intended to break down notions of stereotyped employment and attract women to non-traditional, male-dominated industries such as construction. Thus, it seems timely to revisit a study of the lived experience of non-traditionally employed women, conducted in Northern Ireland in the mid-1990s. Data from this study are presented here, specifically contextualized within R. M. Kanter's (American Journal of Sociology, 82, 965-90) framework of tokenism. Utilizing this framework, the paper examines the relationship that exists between the sexes (women as ‘tokens’ and males as ‘dominants’) in the non-traditional settings examined, indicating that barriers remain that women must surmount for gender equality to be achieved. The paper concludes by briefly examining one initiative working pro-actively to remove these barriers, providing women with greater opportunities to pursue non-traditional careers.

The career development of Mexican American adolescent women: A test of social cognitive career theory.

This study tested R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, and G. Hackett's (1994) model of career choice with 364 Mexican American adolescent women. Path analyses were run to determine the influence of contextual and social cognitive variables on career aspiration, career choice prestige, and traditionality. Partial support for the model was evidenced as nontraditional career self-efficacy, parental support, barriers, acculturation, and feminist attitudes predicted career choice prestige. Acculturation, feminist attitudes, and nontraditional career self-efficacy predicted career choice traditionality. Feminist attitudes and parental support predicted career aspiration. The paths between nontraditional career interests and the 3 outcome variables were not supported. Finally, none of the background contextual variables in this study predicted nontraditional career self-efficacy. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Applied Evolution

▪ Abstract Evolutionary biology is widely perceived as a discipline with relevance that lies purely in academia. Until recently, that perception was largely true, except for the often neglected role of evolutionary biology in the improvement of agricultural crops and animals. In the past two decades, however, evolutionary biology has assumed a broad relevance extending far outside its original bounds. Phylogenetics, the study of Darwin's theory of “descent with modification,” is now the foundation of disease tracking and of the identification of species in medical, pharmacological, or conservation settings. It further underlies bioinformatics approaches to the analysis of genomes. Darwin's “evolution by natural selection” is being used in many contexts, from the design of biotechnology protocols to create new drugs and industrial enzymes, to the avoidance of resistant pests and microbes, to the development of new computer technologies. These examples present opportunities for education of the public and for nontraditional career paths in evolutionary biology. They also provide new research material for people trained in classical approaches.

Journey to the top—breaking through the canopy: Canadian experiences

The authors reviewed the Canadian scene to examine the contribution of women in defining the Canadian forestry agenda and to see what was happening to those women who were advancing to the top and breaking through the canopy. The Canadian forest sector has been and is still a male dominated world. The women who were contacted work in varying jurisdictions—government, industry, academia and consultants. Their perspectives on how the journey to the top was progressing, the challenges faced and the factors affecting this journey are chronicled. Key words: women in forestry, women of influence, role of mentor, barriers, non-traditional career path, women and natural resource management

Government research program administrator. a nontraditional career for a phd plant biologist.

I work for a U.S. government agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF). One might call what I do an alternative career for scientists with Ph.D. degrees. I do not do research, nor do I teach college-level science courses. I administer and manage government research funding programs so that

Rewards, Risks and Tensions: Perceptions of males enrolled in an early childhood teacher education programme

This article describes the perceptions held by a group of male early childhood student teachers concerning the potential rewards and risks entailed in their non-traditional career choice, and the gender-related tensions they encountered in their pre-service programme. Although these men hoped that their involvement in early childhood education might contribute to long-term gender reform, their accounts indicated that each had difficulty articulating a consistent perspective about gender and gender-related issues. The article highlights the need for early childhood teacher education programmes to address gender issues, and considers implications for teacher educators seeking to increase the participation and retention rates of pro-feminist males with potential to contribute to gender reform.

Guide To Nontraditional Careers In Science [Book Review

Guide To Nontraditional Careers In Science [Book Review

Working to Place Family at the Center of Life: Dual-Earner and Single-Parent Strategies

There are two basic types of work-family strategies: workplace-based strategies and family-centered strategies. In the past, attention has been placed mostly on work policies. This article focuses on members of dual-earner and single-parent families who have actively placed family at the center of their lives. The strategies they adopt depend upon their position in the labor market as well as marital status. Some dual-earner families jointly calculate scheduling and job trajectories while utilizing benefits from both of their employees; others reluctantly coparent because of underemployment. Single mothers who have professional or technical skills try to make special accommodations with bosses or they become contract workers, while less skilled single mothers need benefits in order not to have to work several jobs. In addition, some single mothers have developed extensive networks and advocate for more community support of child rearing. Most working parents committed to keeping their families at the center have pursued nontraditional career paths. Ideologies about families and parenting may shape strategies about employment more often than workplace norms or work-family policies.

A multiple-groups analysis of predictors of higher level career aspirations among women in mathematics, science, and engineering majors.

This study investigated a model of predictors of higher level career aspirations among 2 groups of women: students in mathematics, physical science, and engineering majors and students in biological science majors. On the basis of social-cognitive theory, it was hypothesized that ability, self-efficacy, positivity of role model influence, and role conflict would influence the higher level career aspirations of these women. Data obtained from a mail survey of 546 students revealed that the hypothesized model provided a good overall fit to the data. In contrast to the women in math, physical science, and engineering majors, the relationships between ability and self-efficacy and between positivity of role-model influence and self-efficacy were significantly lower in magnitude for women in the biological sciences group. These findings suggest ideas for interventions designed to increase the number of women aspiring to top positions within nontraditional careers.

Women's development through personal knowing

Striking intuitive experiences may influence women to become active in working for social and political change and to pursue nontraditional career goals. These moments of insight, referred to a experiences of personal knowing, are the subject of this qualitative study of 100 excerpts from women's memoirs, journals and autobiographies. Personal knowing in these narratives includes an important personal insight, strong affect, an altered state of consciousness, suddenness and physical sensations. The first person narratives studied demonstrate that women spontaneously write about personal knowing to explain their motivations, life choices and self-development.Personal knowing experiences, which are often considered trivial or exceptional, are discussed as significant developmental events which combine cognition and affect and may occur throughout the life cycle.

Creating Job Opportunities for Dietetic Technicians-101

LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine three methods of discovering non-traditional career opportunities for graduates of dietetic technology.Review of recent literature has shown changes in health care delivery. Educators must respond to prepare our graduates for the future. Three different methods were studied to assist students in discovering non-traditional jobs in dietetic technology. First, the Department of Dietetic Technology’s Advisory Council met to discuss the issues of health care trends. Their expertise was tapped to determine placement of dietetic technicians in non-traditional roles. The second method was a survey of community businesses involved in the promotion of wellness, fitness and preventative care. The survey asked what types of diet education/assessment were conducted by the business, who was responsible for the assessment/education, and determined their knowledge of dietetic technician’s skills and abilities. In effect, the survey was used as a tool to ascertain the community’s need for the services which can be provided by dietetic technicians. Lastly, skill building sessions were held with students, to aid in increasing their marketability in the workplace for the next century. Classes on resume preparation and job interviewing provided them with basic skills for job hunting. Discussions and role playing on “networking” and creating “ideal” jobs were explored in class to increase awareness on the changing role of the dietetic technician. Field trips to various facilities such as free standing dialysis units and vendor sponsored food shows demonstrated unique opportunities for dietetic technicians upon graduation. As dietetics continues to grow and adapt to trends in health care, educators must keep in mind skills needed by students to prepare them for the future.

Relationship Between a Feminist Approach to Career Counseling and Career Self‐Efficacy Beliefs

To determine whether liberal feminist and conventional approaches to career counseling might differentially affect women's career self‐efficacy beliefs, 40 college women heard audiotapes of career counseling and provided ratings of their own career self‐efficacy. Analysis supported the suggestion that a feminist approach to career counseling can have a significantly more positive effect on career self‐efficacy than a conventional approach. This was true for ratings on the category of nontraditional careers as well as for overall career self‐efficacy ratings.

From margin to centre

Abstract This article describes several programs operated by the Toronto Board of Education designed to promote gender equity. These programs include a conference to encourage grade seven and eight girls to consider nontraditional careers, a retreat for male and female secondary school students focusing on a wide range of gender equity issues and support groups for young women on the issue of body image. The author poses questions that she feels need to be addressed at this stage in the development of feminist interventions in the school system.

The Further Educational Needs of Dental Hygienists

Dental hygiene is an occupation that is beginning to assume the status of a profession. The research reported in this paper focuses on the perceptions of education as it relates to the professional status of dental hygienists, as well as on some aspects of their continuing education needs. It is taken from a study of dental hygienists and dentists in Alberta, which investigated the perceptions of both groups of the status of dental hygiene as a profession.Data for the study was collected from focus groups of dental hygienists and questionnaires administered to both dentists and hygienists in Alberta.While the study showed support among dental hygienists as a group for further education, as well as for the notion of mandated continuing education, there was uncertainty about what forms it should take and whether it would in fact be needed by the majority of hygienists engaged in traditional practice, views that were shared by the dentists in the study. Of particular interest in the study were the views of the respondents on the baccalaureate in dental hygiene, which is seen by Dental Hygienists' Associations as being an important step in the evolution of dental hygiene as a profession. The respondents in the study were quite sharply divided over the need for the degree: dental hygienists in nontraditional careers were supportive of the idea, while those engaged in traditional practice, as well as the dentists, were less so. The findings of this study, which indicate a division within the ranks of dental hygienists, have considerable importance for those who are charged with charting the future of dental hygiene.

The Differential Impact of Gender Ratios on Women and Men: Tokenism, Self-Confidence, and Expectations

The results show that female subjects who anticipated being tokens-the only woman in the group were more likely than nontoken women to prefer a different group, to desire a change in the gender composition of the group, and to expect to stereotype others. These effects were stronger for token women with less confidence about an upcoming task. In contrast, token and nontoken male subjects did not differ in their responses to these measures. Yet potential female and male tokens, regardless of confidence, were both more likely to anticipate stereotypic evaluations from their group members. The authors discuss the relevance of these results to career choices by women in nontraditional careers.

The kaleidoscope of general internist careers

As internal medicine residency programs struggle to produce general internists in greater numbers and assure that they are adequately prepared for practice, it is imperative that the graduate medical education system have a clear picture of what competencies will be expected of those entering general internist careers. Feedback from the practicing community and large managed care organizations in Minnesota has made it clear that general internists in that state are functioning in a variety of positions requiring a wide range of skills depending on the practice description, choice of practice setting, and the complement of other primary care providers. General internists functioning in nontraditional careers have special curricular needs. It is imperative that training programs constantly monitor the changing practice environment and stay current on the variety of new generalist career choices to adequately prepare their residents for generalist careers. The graduate medical education enterprise needs to be involved in determining the best teaching strategies for the broad range of ambulatory general medicine competencies and in determining how best to preserve the richness of the medical subspecialty experience critical to the training of excellent general internists.

College Women's Career Self‐Efficacy and Educational Environments

This study examined the relationship between the composition by sex of women's high school and college environments as well as the sex of their selected influential teachers in each of these settings and their reported self‐efficacy in careers judged traditional or nontraditional for women. Two hundred and seventy‐four junior and senior female students from both single‐sex and coeducational private liberal arts colleges served as participants. Results indicated no main effects for composition by sex of an institution, or the sex of influential teachers, nor were there any significant two‐way interactions. Two significant (p > .05) three‐way interactions did emerge, however. One indicated that nontraditional career self‐efficacy was predicted by a single‐sex high school and college environment with either no high school influential teacher or the choice of a male one. The second predicted three‐way interaction indicated increased nontraditional career self‐efficacy by students attending single‐sex high schools and colleges and choosing a male college influential teacher.

Motivational factors in technical college women's selection of nontraditional careers

Motivational factors in technical college women's selection of nontraditional careers