The Experiences of Black Females in Traditional and Nontraditional Professions

Abstract

This study is an investigation of differences in the backgrounds, attitudes, and career-related expectations of black college females pursuing traditional (e.g. teaching, social work, and nursing) and nontraditional (e.g. sciences, engineering, pre-law, business) careers for women. The subjects were 147 black female undergraduates attending a large urban university in the midwest who completed a questionnaire. The results showed that mothers of nontraditionals were likely to be better educated than mothers of traditionals. Also, the mothers of nontraditionals were more likely to have worked in nontraditional fields themselves. Nontraditionals were more likely to have had an early work experience, were more confident in their own ability to complete nontraditional educational programs, and had less traditional views about appropriate roles for women than traditionals. However, nontraditionals were less confident than traditionals that they and other women could actually achieve the careers they themselves were pursuing. Finally, nontraditionals did not think they were any less likely than traditionals to marry because of their career choices. However, nontraditionals did expect that they would have fewer female but more male friends because of their careers.