Education and Career Development

The impact of gender on education and career development will be the focus of this chapter. A brief review of career related theories will be presented in light of their emphasis on gender. Unique concerns facing women as they pursue education and careers will be described, including stereotype threat, education and career barriers, the impact of hostile and null environments, and navigating multiple home and work roles. Unique barriers for women of color will be described, such as downward mobility, isolation, and maintaining oneself in the face of strong conformity pressures in the workplace. Important strengths or resilience strategies also will be provided, including spirituality, effective coping strategies, and networking/mentoring. Although the literature on career issues among men is sparse, the unique challenges for men in education and work will emphasize gender role strain/gender role conflict, occupational segregation, and racial disparities and barriers regarding men of color. Helpful strategies for working with boys and men also will be presented. Finally a brief overview of educational and career-related information concerning transgender and nonbinary people will be described.