A descriptive study of women enrolled in the office careers programmes at selected community colleges
Date
1978
Authors
Hoek, Margaretha S.M.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to form a description of the characteristics, motivations, and reported problems of women enroled in Office Careers programmes, in order to provide a preliminary data base for appropriate counselling of students No local or specific information was available on Office Careers women, and there was reason to believe that the data on United States' academic women students might not generalize to this group. A group of eighty women students, drawn from two colleges in the lower mainland of British Columbia, was given a questionnaire derived from Astin (1976). Responses were divided into subgroups of mature and youthful students, and subJected to chi square analysis. In addition, the results of Astin's study of Continuing Education for Women students were used as an empirical reference point for the presentation of the survey responses of the total group and mature subgroup of Office Careers students.
The results of the study suggest that the surveyed women in college Office Careers programmes are part of a nontraditional group. These women have low incomes, little education or employment experience, and a relatively non-risking lifestyle. Their resources, both emotionally and financially, are under strain to meet the demands of the student role. The Office Careers women attend college in order to qualify for employment, yet report little affinity with or interest in their training area. Although they value a career as part of their own self-fulfilment, their priorities and goals are diffuse or in flux. The mature women of this group are particularly overloaded and under-supported, and often are the single parents of relatively young families. While they are highly concerned about finding employment, the mature women also seek to develop personally through their return to education.
There were more similarities than differences between the mature and youthful Office Careers students, there appeared to be many large differences between the Continuing Education for Women sample and this Office Careers group. Implications for counsellors working with mature women, career students, and lower socioeconomic status women were drawn, together with recommendations that further study of these populations be made.