Sex-Typing and Change in the Occupational Choices of High School Seniors: 1964-1975

Comparison of occupational plans and preferences of graudating high school seniors in 1964 and 1975 shows a substantial reduction in the sex-typing Qf occupational choice, especially for female students. Female and male distributions converge over the period, primarily as a result of increased female choice of traditional male white-collar occupations. Choices of traditional female occupations remain sex-typed as do those for skilled male blue-collar occupations. The general trend of convergence was partly counteracted by the emergence in 1975 of choices for a number of sex-typed occupations that had not been sex-typed in 1964. Thus, while convergence in choice occurred, the majoirty of students in 1975 still expected and hoped to enter predominantly male or female occupations.