Family and Career Values: Sex Differences in a Working Population.

Abstract : The research reported describes sex differences in values and attitudes concerning families, careers and the relationships between family and career responsibilities. Respondents were 104 male and 124 female employees of Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, including 44 first line supervisors and 184 of their subordinates. Four general conclusions were drawn from the analyses: (1) women and young people had somewhat more egalitarian views than men and those over 30 regarding appropriate goals for men and women in balancing family and career concerns; (2) Women are perceived as having primary responsibility for child rearing; (3) Men's careers are perceived as having higher priority than women's careers; (4) Women perceived stronger emotional support from their friends for their choice of careers, while men perceive support from their spouses and parents. Implications of the findings for sexual integration of civilian and military work forces are discussed. (Author)