L’orientation des filles vers des métiers non traditionnels en sciences et en technologies

• Main Authors: Geneviève Szczepanik, Pierre Doray, Yoenne Langlois
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association d'Economie Politique 2009-10-01
• Series: Interventions Économiques pour une Alternative Sociale
• Subjects: education; educational and academic path; feminine ghettos; non-traditional educational and vocational orientation; women
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/interventionseconomiques/121

The struggle for equality between men and women has appeared in every social field, including those of education and work. In this struggle, one of the strategies adopted by the feminist movement and by the governments of many countries has been to foster the participation of women in so-called non-traditional occupations. Despite social struggles and government interventions aiming at widening women’s professional horizons, occupational ghettos are still quite numerous. The goal of this paper is to better understand the persistence of these ghettos from a specific point of view: that of the career orientation of female post-secondary students. Our analysis deals with the pathways of female students who, at one point of another in their academic progression, have considered the opportunity of entering into non-traditional trades or professions. A first conclusion emerges from our analysis: only a small number of girls consider the opportunity of undertaking studies in non-traditional fields before they enter post-secondary education (in technical or scientific programs). Our second conclusion is that the weight of their academic experience causes many students to reassess their orientation, which often leads them back into more traditional pathways. We must therefore conclude that academic experience often acts as an element of professional disillusion which can trigger a redefinition of career plans.