Sex Inequalities in Education for Work: The Case of Business Education
Keywords:
vocational education, gender inequality, labor market, course selection, school-to-work transitionAbstract
This paper examines the way the labor market shapes course choice and patterns of sex segregation in schools. It is based on interviews with a group of students who did not go on to post-secondary education. Interviews were conducted while they were in school and after they had graduated. Business courses are the only school courses that are seen as training students for jobs. The paper argues that girls choose business courses for economic reasons, even though the courses are largely seen as boring. The economic benefits the students see are real, and strategies for integrating and improving the courses must take this into account.
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