7
males (14.2%) are shown. In juxtaposition to this pattern, considerably more males (41.0%) report being in a service
or semi-skilled job, as compared to females (35.6%). The percentage distributions are much closer within the semi-
professional jobs, with women being slightly more likely than men to occupy positions in that category. Finally, the
remaining job category, containing a combination of farm, laborer, and military jobs, is skewed heavily in favor of
men (13.2% versus 3.6% for women).
(Insert Table 1 about here)
The ratios shown in Table 1 also clearly illustrate the uneven distribution of the sexes across the
professional, service/semi-skilled, and ‘other’ categories. Given that previous research has shown increasing
percentages of females obtaining college degrees, relative to the number of males, it is not entirely surprising to see
these effects within the eventual career paths that young adult males and females find themselves. As previously
stated, though, these choices do not occur spontaneously, nor without the influence of others, specifically family
members.
Table 2 presents the mean levels of family and household characteristics, as sorted by the sex of the
respondent. While males and females do appear to have similar family backgrounds, there are several notable
differences. Females are slightly more likely to come from a single parent family, as compared to males. As well,
females report spending considerably more time with their parents during their adolescent years. Males report a
slightly, but significantly, higher level of household income, and also report having a slightly smaller family size (as
assessed by the number of siblings). Although males and females report having similar levels of parents’ educational
attainment, parents reported greater expectations for their daughters to complete college (70%), as compared to sons
(61%). Given that the completion of a college degree has implications for the selection of an occupational path, this
difference is quite noteworthy. Parents are also deemed to serve as substantial role models in the selection of a
career, yet the differences between males and females in terms of whether their parents occupied a professional job
are not significant. In the relative sense, it is still necessary to recognize that slightly more fathers reported having a
professional job than did mothers.
(Insert Table 2 about here)
Table 3 presents the mean levels of individual characteristics, as sorted by the sex of the respondent.
Convention