Gender Segregation in Vocational Education: Introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter develops the overall research focus and the aim of the present special issue 'Gender segregation in vocational educationEducational institutions can be understood as "sorting machines" (Kerckhoff, 1995;Spring, 1976).Students from different backgrounds enter schools and colleges. With their acquired knowledge and credentials, they enter the labour market. We know that children coming from more privileged homes generally end up in more privileged positions in the labour market than children from lower educated and poorer families. Plenty of research has been done that describe and explain how privilege is reproduced through the education system, and how and when education can be used as a means of social mobility

Being and becoming a female student and worker in gendered processes of vocational education and training

“…Labour markets tend to be highly gender segregated, especially sectors that do not require higher education, in Sweden, the EU and globally (OECD 2017; Das and Kotikula 2018;SCB 2018). This is reflected in, and upheld by, educational systems that function as sorting devices of individuals according to socioeconomic background and gender (Reisel, Hegna, and Imdorf 2015;Smyth and Steinmetz 2015). Conversely, education can play an important role in challenging existing gender norms and gendered transitions.…”

“…Similarly, Brockmann (2010) found that the (male) social identity of motor vehicle maintenance shaped the learning culture in a vehicle maintenance VET programme. However, despite the gendered vertical and horizontal divide in the labour market, where women often are disadvantaged, gendered dimensions of VET have received relatively little scientific attention (Reisel, Hegna, and Imdorf 2015;Niemeyer and Colley 2015). Since gender divides are particularly strong in VET contexts within educational systems, and relations between vocational education and occupational identities are particularly direct in VET programmes, we perceive a need for more knowledge of how different VET contexts constrain and enable student identities.…”

Conflicts, competition and social support in female-dominated vocational education – breaking or reaffirming stereotypical femininity?

“…Thus, this research contributes to our knowledge on female VET students by focusing on the often gender-segregated nature of VET as a context for social relationships and important identity development processes. Vocational programmes have been remarkably stable in their gender segregation, which is in contrast to the trend of higher education, and identity theory based explanations for this have been suggested to be particularly importance in VET systems with an early or high degree of tracking as is the case in Norway (Imdorf et al 2015, Reisel et al 2015. The autonomous choice of educational pathways at the age of 15 in Norway leave more room for adolescent gender stereotypical behaviour and self-understanding to play a part in this choice.…”

The academic–vocational divide in three Nordic countries: implications for social class and gender

“…Even if vocational programmes always appear to have been considered "male education" (Jónasson, 2003;Odih, 2007), it might be argued that current trends imply that certain vocational programmes are becoming even more male dominated. Furthermore, the differences between vocational programmes are accentuated by contemporary trends in which those programmes dominated by females are geared more towards higher education than programmes dominated by their male counterparts, as in most European countries (see Reisel, Hegna, & Imdorf, 2015). Another likely hypothesis is that, since the labour market is highly segregated in terms of gender, the trend of gearing vocational programmes towards employers' needs will further accentuate gender differences.…”