ABSTRACT

This paper examines young women university students’ expectations of gender inequalities in the workplace, drawing upon semi-structured interviews with 21 young women at three mid-high ranking universities. Our original findings show that the young women were factoring-in expectations of the gendered workplace as a backdrop to their career choices and life-planning. Critically, these young women are relatively privileged and educationally successful, yet are framing their career choices in light of expectations of gendered constraints. We label this phenomenon the ‘mirrored ceiling’, as these expectations are reflected back onto young women’s current experiences and life-mapping. Crucially, these pervasive understandings of gendered workplaces and career trajectories were transpiring at a critical moment when young women are making crucial choices about their careers and life-courses. The specific environment of the university is a pivotal space of formal and informal learning, and the circulation, sharing and (re)production of the mirrored ceiling. This is also a key moment in time and space when career services, and specific industries could intervene in proactive ways to demonstrate how gender inequalities are being challenged. This paper therefore uncovers an important, and previously overlooked factor influencing gendered career pathways, which needs addressing by careers services and broader university practices.

摘要

本文利用对三所中等大学的 21 名年轻女性的半结构式访谈，研究了年轻女大学生对工作场所性别不平等的期望。我们最初的研究结果表明，年轻女性将对性别化工作场所的期望作为她们职业选择和人生规划的背景。至关重要的是，这些年轻女性相对享有特权，在教育上也很成功，但她们正在根据对性别限制的期望来制定职业选择。我们将这种现象称为“镜像天花板”，因为这些期望会反映到年轻女性当前的经历和生活规划中。至关重要的是，这些对性别化工作场所和职业轨迹的普遍理解发生在年轻女性对其职业和人生历程做出重要选择的关键时刻。大学的特定环境是正式和非正式学习的关键空间，也是镜面天花板的流通、共享和（再）生产。这也是职业服务和特定行业可以积极干预以展示性别不平等如何受到挑战的时间和空间的关键时刻。因此，本文揭示了一个重要的、以前被忽视的影响性别职业道路的因素，需要通过职业服务和更广泛的大学实践来解决。大学的特定环境是正式和非正式学习的关键空间，也是镜面天花板的流通、共享和（再）生产。这也是职业服务和特定行业可以积极干预以展示性别不平等如何受到挑战的时间和空间的关键时刻。因此，本文揭示了一个重要的、以前被忽视的影响性别职业道路的因素，需要通过职业服务和更广泛的大学实践来解决。大学的特定环境是正式和非正式学习的关键空间，也是镜面天花板的流通、共享和（再）生产。这也是职业服务和特定行业可以积极干预以展示性别不平等如何受到挑战的时间和空间的关键时刻。因此，本文揭示了一个重要的、以前被忽视的影响性别职业道路的因素，需要通过职业服务和更广泛的大学实践来解决。