How Kate became a pilot. Does gender have to influence the choice of a profession?

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How Kate became a pilot. Does gender have to influence the choice of a profession?

“Dad! I want to be a teacher!” exclaims the son. “Mum! I’m gonna be a firefighter!” says her daughter. Small children don’t bother dividing occupations into male and female ones. They want to do what they like. Older children often fall into the trap of patterns and limitations. It’s a pity...

Before we “plan” for our child their future of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, let them discover and test things, show them the range of possibilities. Let them become aware of the variety of options to choose from and that what occupation they will pursue in the future depends on their willingness, interests, predispositions and perseverance, not on gender.

Male or female?

Ask your child to draw people performing specific professions:

1. a person who puts out fires and rescues people in various situations,

2. a person who professionally cuts hair and makes beautiful hairstyles,

3. a person conducting scientific research,

4. a person who sits behind the controls of a plane.

See if, according to your child, certain occupations can be performed by both men and women. Talk to your child about what determines whether someone can practise a given profession. If you know women who have “more masculine” jobs and men who have “more feminine” professions, refer to these examples. You can also search such instances on the Internet.

Occupations have no gender

Next time children play different jobs, talk about what influences a person’s ability to perform a given profession and what characteristics they should have. Point out that not only men handle the controls on a plane and not only women teach at schools. Discuss how it’s your competences, skills and often education that determines whether one can do a specific job, not gender.

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How Kate became a pilot. Does gender have to influence the choice of a profession?

I’m going to be who I want to be

Remember who you wanted to be in the future, what profession did you dream of when you were a child. Talk about this with your child. Together, discuss what their strengths and predispositions are. A younger child can draw, while with an older child you can talk about what they like to do and what they feel good at. It can be one or several things. Together, think about what your child could do in the future, what professions to enter. Give your child a range of possibilities. Although it can sometimes be annoying that a child who was doing karate now wants to sing in a choir and later they may want to go to a scientific experiment class, it’s about getting to know one’s own interests. This gives them the chance to make more conscious choices about their future career path. You can also suggest to your child some specific activities. Research shows that if it’s the father who encourages the girl to take classes, e.g. in programming, and supports her in this, there’s a higher chance that she’ll enjoy it for longer.

All source materials are prepared by the team of Kulczyk Foundation’s Education Department in cooperation with teachers and experts – pedagogists, psychologists and cultural experts – and verified by an experienced family therapist Kamila Becker. Kinga Kuszak, PhD, Professor of Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Educational Studies, provides content-related supervision over Kulczyk Foundation’s educational materials. All materials are covered by the content patronage of the Faculty of Educational Studies of Adam Mickiewicz University.

The article was published on 23.04.2020 on the website of Instytut Dobrego Życia (Good Life Institute)

Authors: Marta Tomaszewska (Kulczyk Foundation) and Anna Woźniak (Instytut Dobrego Życia)