Nontraditional by Gender Careers

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1 Nontraditional by Gender Careers Learning with Lunch Series November 30 th, 2011 Maria A. Sastre, Ph.D. Academic Advisor, NT by Gender Initiative Coordinator

2 Nontraditional careers are paths less traveled. Two roads diverged in a wood, And I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference Robert Frost

3 What are Nontraditional by Gender Careers? Nontraditional by Gender careers are occupations in which either men or women comprise less than 25 % of the total individuals employed in that occupation. For more information visit our webpage at:

4 Traditional vs. Nontraditional? Traditional occupations for women Traditional occupations for men Occupations that have changed: Medicine Law A bit of history: Nursing Theatre Chef training

5 Why look at this? Objectives Increase awareness of nontraditional by gender career choices, their benefits, and possible interfering factors Promote equitable educational and occupational opportunities Promote economic self sufficiency Promote self efficacy

6 Why choose a Nontraditional by Gender Career? First and foremost, the choice of a nontraditional career follows a personal vision based on one s unique individual interests, abilities and talents, AND VERY IMPORTANT This choice is free from stereotypical bias or limiting expectations

7 Startling Statements 2010 Courtesy of Mimi Lufkin, Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance for Partnership in Equity (NAPE) Other outstanding research organizations: American Association of University Women (AAUW) National Women s Law Center (NWLC) STEM Pipeline

8 Ceilings and cliff? Glass ceiling? Stained Glass ceiling? A new initiative in 2009, by the United Methodist Church, The Lead Woman Pastor Project, to examine barriers to women being appointed pastors to Methodist churches with more than 1,000 members. 23% of the clergy is female but only 8% lead the largest churches. Cape Cod Times, Glass cliff? A Yale University study found that when a person has a high level job traditionally held by the opposite gender, that person encounters extra scrutiny and is judged more harshly for mistakes. Christian Science Monitor, February 2011

9 2010 Census Bureau Data: Some occupations are highly dominated by men, others are highly dominated by women In general, wages in jobs dominated by men are higher than in those dominated by women Within a single occupation, pay for men almost always exceeds the pay for women, often by a substantial amount (Remapping Debate, February 2011)

10 In Barnstable County, Ma. Based on 2010 Census Data Median earnings for male full time year round workers: $ 51,904 Median earnings for female full time year round workers: $ 41,225 79% difference

11 The Gender Pay Gap is Real! Catherine Hill, American Association of University Women, Even when women make the same career choices as men, they earn less AAUW study, Behind the Pay Gap, 2007: after accounting for factors such as college major, occupation, industry, sector, hours worked, workplace flexibility, experience, education, GPA, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, children, a 5% difference in the earnings of women and men one year after college was still unexplained. A similar analysis, ten years after college graduation found a 12% unexplained difference in earnings

12 Equal Pay Day Equal Pay Day (April 24 th in 2007, April 28 th in 2009) falls on the number of additional days that women have to work before earning what men earned by December 31 st of the previous year. President Obama proclaimed April 12, 2011 as National Equal Pay Day,

13 Poverty Rate According to an analysis of the 2010 Census data by the National Women s Law Center: Poverty rate among women climbed to 14.5% Among women who head families, 4 in 10 (40.7%) live in poverty The child poverty rate jumped to 22.0 % in 2010, and more than half of poor children live in female headed families in 2010.

14 The College Payoff The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce August 2011 Education and earnings interact in complex ways, and these are the rules to the game : Rule #1: Degree level matters Rule #2: Occupational choice can trump degree level Rule #3: Degree level matters most within each occupation Rule#4: Race/Ethnicity and Gender are wild cards that matter more than education or occupation in determining earnings

15 The Road Ahead : A Look at Trends in Educational Attainment at Community Colleges October 2011 Report by Christopher Mullin from the American Association of Community Colleges Enrollment increased by 65 % Degrees and Certificates awarded increased by 127 % Improved minority student performance narrowing the achievement gap Challenges are still present for men of color, students needing remediation, and low income students

16 Cape Cod Community College Promotes career choices based on interests and abilities, free from stereotypes or limiting expectations. Aims to foster equitable opportunities, striving to ensure that all students meet learning goals for cultural appreciation, communication and computational skills emphasizing the importance of mastering skills in mathematics, science, and technology. Embraces diversity in all aspects that define us as human beings, including race, ethnicity, language, disabilities, and income, as well as gender

17 Education and workplace College Students today are older, more diverse, and have more work and family obligations, Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success, June 2011 Three shifts in US demographics: graying, feminization, browning Cognitive Beliefs and Cultural Variables in STEM Career Development, Angela Byars-Winston, 2011

18 Greater Gender Wage Parity in STEM US Commerce Department s Economics and Statistics Administration, August 3, 2011 STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math it s a set of skills, habits of mind. It s problem solving, creativity, collaboration, communication, Michelle Shearer, 2011 National Teacher of the Year Women with STEM jobs earned 33% more than women in non-stem jobs Women in STEM experience smaller wage gaps

19 Race/Ethnicity & Gender The importance of disaggregating data According to 2010 U.S. Census: Poverty rate among women: 14.5 % Poverty rate for Hispanic women: 25 % Poverty rate for Black women: 25.6 % White unemployment: 8.1 % Black unemployment : 15.9 % Black youth (16-19) unemployment: 39 % According to the NSF: Black Ph.D. s in Physics: 1% Project to Assess Climate in Engineering (PACE) Race, Ethnicity Matters when recruiting, retaining undergraduate women engineers

20 Differences or Similarities? Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity, Susan Klein, Editor, 2007 Gender similarities in verbal ability and mathematical performance (one exception: mental rotation) No Gender Gap in Math, Scientific American, January 6, 2010 A worldwide study of half a million children, ages 14 to 16, found no significant gender gap in math ability Debunking Mars and Venus, Pink Brain Blue Brain, womensenews.org, December 2010

21 Stereotypes/Cultural bias Why So Few, American Association of University Women, 2010 A report on the underrepresentation of women in science and math found that although women have made gains, stereotypes and cultural biases still impede their success. Cognitive Beliefs and Cultural Variables in STEM career development, Angela Byars-Winston, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Why so few of the browning population are represented in STEM careers? Gender stereotypes, We all carry false gender stereotypes, probably unconsciously, and these stereotypes have staying power, Education Week, August 2011 Math anxiety Having a highly math-anxious female teacher may push girls to confirm the stereotype that they are not as good as boys at math, which in turn, affects girls' math achievement, Sian Beilock, Science Daily, Jan Stereotype Threat Reminding people that they belong to a group about which others hold negative stereotypes, often causes strong, unconscious psychological and physiological responses. These responses can interfere with performance and motivation, Trailblazers, Sept. 2008

22 Foster equitable opportunities Challenge stereotypes Recommendations Directly address and discuss potential implicit bias Recruit and retain underrepresented groups Provide role models Raise awareness about relevance of STEM careers to local context and community needs Attend to cultural/organizational climate High standards and effort leads to success Encourage self-affirmation Help see the external and temporary reasons for difficulties and anxiety Emphasize intelligence can be developed and improved Deemphasize threatened social identities

23 Video: Nontraditional by Gender Occupations Produced by Adam Farrell, CCCC This video, as well as other pertinent information and resources, can be accessed and viewed on the Cape Cod Community College Nontraditional by Gender Initiative webpage at

AAUW. Women in Community Colleges. Access to Success

AAUW. Women in Community Colleges. Access to Success AAUW Executive Summary Women in Community Colleges Access to Success a AAUW Executive Summary Higher education is essential to the productivity and innovation of the U.S. workforce, and ongoing economic