Comparative analysis of professional aspirations of female and male university students from Kenya, Spain and Iceland
FUNCAS (2013-2014)
• Period: 2013-14.
• International research project promoted by the Complutense research group "Economic Analysis of Diversity and Equality Policies"
• Project funded by Fundación de las Cajas de Ahorro (FUNCAS)
• Summary
In this study our primary aim is to analyze gender differences in career aspirations of university students. Are professional aspirations of female students lower than those of male students? If there is a gender gap in professional aspirations, it may be linked to different prospects to family involvement aspirations for female and male university students. Are these family involvement aspirations of male students lower than those of female students? When analyzing attitudes towards managing the work-family interface, do female and male university student have the same perception of a future work-family conflict?
We want to know if this perception of a future work-family conflict is influencing now the professional aspirations and expectations of some university students (v.g., preferring to work in the future in public sector and in family friendly organizations, working part time, etc.), and also to what extent this perception is influenced by gender, parental characteristics, educational experience, social background, work-related attitudes and gender attitudes.
We also hypothesized that greater gender equality in society tends to reduce or eliminate the gender gap in aspirations. In order to test it, we are comparing the case of Kenya (a quite traditional society in gender issues) with the case of Spain (a “middle range” case but with a significant recent advance in gender equality), and with the case of Iceland (one of the most advanced societies in terms of welfare and gender equality).
To try to achieve these objectives, during the months of September and October 2013, we will simultaneously conduct a survey among a sample of college students at the University of Nairobi, the Complutense University and the University of Iceland.
• Coordinators:
University of Nairobi:
Jane Kabubo-Mariara, Professor and director of the School of Economics. Click here
Bethuel Kinyanjui Kinuthia, Assistant lecturer. School of Economics. Click here
Universidad Complutense de Madrid:
Lorenzo Escot Mangas, Associate Professor. Faculty of Economics & Faculty of Statistics
José Andrés Fernández Cornejo, Associate Professor. Faculty of Economics.
University of Iceland:
Guðný Björk Eydal, Professor, Faculty of Social Work. Click here
Steinunn Hrafnsdóttir, Associate Professor. Dean of the Faculty of Social Work. Click here
******************************************************************************************************
• The results of the study were presented at a Complutense Summer Course in El Escorial, in July 2014.
https://www.ucm.es/aedipi/textos/109924
• FUNCAS Working Paper wiht some of the results from the proyect
http://www.funcas.es/publicaciones/Sumario.aspx?IdRef=7-05758
https://www.ucm.es/data/cont/docs/85-2014-08-11-Aspiration%20Project%20Tables%204.xlsx
• "Análisis Intercultural de la Relación Laboral-Familiar en Kenia, España e Islandia", working paper of Sabina Belope Nguema
http://eprints.ucm.es/35086/1/TFM_SABINA%20BELOPE%20NGUEMA.pdf