Issue 4
Vol. 44
2002

Gender role self-concept, gender role attitudes and the participation in gender-typed vocational and leisure sport courses
Ursula Athenstaedt

Summary
In two studies we examined the relationship between gender role self-concept and gender role attitudes with the gender typicality of chosen vocational and leisure sport courses, respectively. The results differed for the two life domains. Both men and women who participated in masculine vocational training courses described themselves as being more masculine than participants in feminine courses. For leisure sport courses, this relation was only found for women. For men (not for women) in both studies gender role attitudes correlated with the gender typicality of the chosen course. Men with more traditional attitudes were more likely to choose masculine courses. Over all, the results underlined the masculine orientation of the vocational and the sport domains. Furthermore, they showed the importance of social gender norms especially for men, as they exclude them from feminine activities. A possible situation-dependent activation of gender role self-concept will be discussed.

Key words: Gender role self-concept, femininity, masculinity, gender role attitudes, extended vocational training, leisure sport

Ursula Athenstaedt
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Institut für Psychologie
Universitätsplatz 2
A-8010 Graz
e-mail: ursula.athenstaedt@uni-graz.at