Teen Girls on Business - Simmons College

<strong>Teen</strong> <strong>Girls</strong> on Business: Are They Being Empowered?A TRIANGLE OF INFLUENCE: FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND THE MEDIAParents/FriendsMediaSchool“I want to be a doctor. Probably pediatrics.My mother is a doctor, and she’s been areally big influence in my life.”-High School Girl<strong>Teen</strong>s are actively engaged in thinking about their futuresand seek career advice from many sources. Families andfriends, teachers and school resources, and entertainmentand informational media all play key roles in helping teensexplore their future career options. 30 These three points ofinfluence can be conceptualized as a triangle surrounding ateen girl, impacting the messages she hears about differentcareers and how she processes those messages.The effects of these various sources of influence can be seenboth directly and indirectly. Direct effects occur when teensactively seek career advice. Where–and to whom–do theygo? Indirect effects–from observing a parent’s or otheradult’s job or from movie and television depictions–mayeven be stronger than direct effects. Past research has shownthe critical nature of same-sex role models from personal,educational, and media domains on the career expectationsand aspirations of teens. 31 This may be especially problematicas we consider teen girls’ attitudes toward careers in business,as studies have also found a lack of female role modelsin business schools and business-related professions. 32In our study, teens were asked directly where they would gofor career advice. While all groups tended to seek advice fromthe same basic sources, interesting differences emerged by gender,race/ethnicity, and career interest. To ascertain indirecteffects, we correlated specific career interests with parentaloccupations. In recognition of the impact of the media onteens, we also analyzed the content of top-rated TV shows,magazines, movies, and websites to examine how business asa career is portrayed. Results were consistent with previousresearch, especially with regard to the hugely important rolethat parents play in teens’ career and life aspirations. 333230Paa HK, McWhirter EH. Perceived Influences on High School Students’ Current Career Expectations.The Career Development Quarterly. Alexandria; 2000.31Paa HK, McWhirter EH. Perceived Influences on High School Students’ Current Career Expectations.The Career Development Quarterly. Alexandria; 2000.32Hollenshead C, Wilt J. Women and the MBA: Gateway to Opportunity. Catalyst. New York, NY; 2000.33Matsui CL, Evans MJ. <strong>Girls</strong> Speak Out: <strong>Teen</strong>s Before Their Time. Girl Scouts of America.New York, NY; 2000.