The Most Common Graduation Advice Tends to Backfire
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/opinion/stem-women-gender-disparity.html
Sapna Cheryan and Therese Anne Mortejo:
As American high school and college students graduate and embark on the next phases of their lives, one piece of advice they will undoubtedly receive is to “follow your passions” or some equivalent sentiment. It seems like fine guidance, however clichéd: Do something that feels true to yourself, rather than conforming to expectations.
But following your passions often turns out to be a bad idea. New research that we and our colleagues conducted found that when asked to identify their passions, women and men tend to cite stereotypically feminine and masculine interests and behavior. Women are more likely to say they want to make art or help people, for instance, while men are more likely to say they want to do science or play sports.
Related:
Does the follow-your-passions ideology cause greater academic and occupational gender disparities than other cultural ideologies?
https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2023-68958-001
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/opinion/stem-women-gender-disparity.html
Sapna Cheryan and Therese Anne Mortejo:
As American high school and college students graduate and embark on the next phases of their lives, one piece of advice they will undoubtedly receive is to “follow your passions” or some equivalent sentiment. It seems like fine guidance, however clichéd: Do something that feels true to yourself, rather than conforming to expectations.
But following your passions often turns out to be a bad idea. New research that we and our colleagues conducted found that when asked to identify their passions, women and men tend to cite stereotypically feminine and masculine interests and behavior. Women are more likely to say they want to make art or help people, for instance, while men are more likely to say they want to do science or play sports.
Related:
Does the follow-your-passions ideology cause greater academic and occupational gender disparities than other cultural ideologies?
https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2023-68958-001