Social values and the choice of careers in industry

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire survey of students at Bath University. Those doing social science were more anti-industrial in their social values than students of management, engineering and economics. Social science students tended to prefer non-industrial jobs congruent with their values. Antiindustrial values were highly correlated with career choice after controlling for degree course. It was concluded that choice of course and career choice may be explained as part of the process of political socialization and hence rooted in experiences in early adolescence. 97 0305-8 107/82/020097-11$02.00/0 0 1982 The British Psychological Society SCHWARZWELLER, H. K. ( I 959). Value orientations in educational and occupational choices. Rural Journal ofsocial Psychology, 17, 17-24. Psychology, 27,338-349. Psychology, 48.50-58. women. Higher Education, 4,357-368. Suppkment, I3 June, 12. SociologicalReview, 28,333-35 I . S~~i o l~g y , 32,92-I 10. 23,58-59. 360-362. Education. Cmnd 3541. London: HMSO. academic achievement. Journal qfAhnorrnal and Social Psychology, 35,226-245. 238-244.P~y~h~l o~y , 29,95-102. The Analysis ofsurvey Data, vol. I : Exploring Data Structures. Chichester: Wiley. Psychology, 1,190-192. . b r [he Social Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill. Occupational Psychology, 39.2 15-2 19. University of Illinois Press. ofMedical Education, 4,9-I 2. 9,169-178. Sociology, 24,246-256. Perspective. London: Edward Arnold. 3760. London: HMSO. students. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 52,4 1-52. thesis, University ofchicago. 163-1 72. 33,405-408.

Empirics on the Origins of Preferences: The Case of College Major and Religiosity

“…This issue is well recognized in the literature (Jennings 1993;Guimond 1999;Sidanius et al 2003;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Thistlethwaite 1973;Biddle et al 1990). Unfortunately, purely cross-sectional research cannot directly address the direction of causality.…”

“…Crosssectionally, an extensive literature documents important correlations between the major of a student and that student's religiosity. A consistent theme in the literature is that students majoring in business, management, accounting, and related disciplines place more emphasis on occupational success, the making of money, and the goals of industry (Easterlin 1995;Easterlin and Crimmins 1991;Leppel et al 2001;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Jennings 1993). The research of Easterlin and Crimmins (1991;also see Easterlin 1995) even suggests that trends in the college majors chosen by students in the 1970s and 1980s are directly related to the values students place on economic success.…”

“…That research is uniform in documenting the existence of correlations between major and attitudes and values very early in the college experience (Jennings 1993;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Thistlethwaite 1973;Sidanius et al 2003;Biddle et al 1990). In fact, there is some evidence suggesting that such correlations have their roots back in high school or even earlier (Jennings 1993;Ethington and Wolfle 1988).…”

“…For example, they tend to place more emphasis on the environment, an attribute shared by those majoring in biology (Hodgkinson and Innes 2001). They also tend to place more emphasis on egalitarianism, tolerance, and freedom and less emphasis on business (Sidanius et al 2003;Jennings 1993;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Biddle et al 1990). Psychology and nursing students have been reported to be higher than others on empathy (Bécares and Turner 2004).…”

“…There are some studies using complex panel data that have attempted to evaluate the reciprocal causation between college major and attitudes and values (Jennings 1993;Thistlethwaite 1973;Bécares and Turner 2004;Ethington and Wolfle 1988;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Sidanius et al 2003;Biddle et al 1990;Guimond 1999). That research is uniform in documenting the existence of correlations between major and attitudes and values very early in the college experience (Jennings 1993;Duff and Cotgrove 1982;Thistlethwaite 1973;Sidanius et al 2003;Biddle et al 1990).…”