Occupational values and employment: A follow-up study of graduate men and women

Abstract

Undergraduate job values have been reported as reflecting both the sex and social origins of the student. The present study assesses whether such differences are of any occupational significance. Ratings on 30 job attributes were collected from 310 final year undergraduates at universities and colleges throughout Britain. The four factors extracted from these ratings were then related to the job held at 26 years. Although the proportions of men and women differed between jobs, this difference was adequately explained by the job values reported by the students before graduation. There was no evidence that women had different values (at college) than men who were, at 26, to do a similar type of job. The origins of sex and social class differences in students' values are explored and it is concluded that there is a need for a new approach to careers education for the highly intelligent student of limited aspiration.