Modeling the Sex-Typing of Occupational Choice

Abstract

In this article, the authors propose to model the influence of occupational structure on the sex-typing of occupational choice within a log-linear model framework. A key feature of the framework is that the explanatory variables vary as a function both of individual attributes and of choice attributes. The authors show how information about the structure of the labor force and the experiences of its male and female incumbents affect the occupational preferences of individuals early in the life course. Analyzing data on high school students in 1972 and 1979, the authors explore the influence of gender inequality in the societal makeup of the labor force through three hypothesized channels: (1) the extent of sex segregation of occupations in the labor force (the reflection model), (2) cross-occupational variation in pay equity between female and male workers (the expectation model), and (3) sex differences in the proportions of highly successful and unsuccessful workers (the reference model).