VOCATION AS CALLING: THE ROLE OF GENDER IN VOCATIONAL

DISCERNMENT AND ACTION AMONG FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Cindy Miller-PerrinDon Thompson

Research Conference on Religion and SpiritualityDivision 36 – APA – Baltimore, Maryland

April 1, 2005

Religion and Higher Education

Higher Education traditionally separates academic and religious pursuits.

Commitment to scientific or research-based approaches to knowledge.

Lack of theoretical attention to faith and spirituality in terms of student development.

Faith and SpiritualityMore recent attention to faith and spiritual development among college students.

Higher Education’s mission addresses the whole person (Stamm, 2004).

Most college students interested in religious and spiritual matters (Young & Young, 2003).

College Student Development

College years are “critical years” in development (Parks, 2000).

College years marked by change in individual self and religious self (Lee, 2002).

Vocational DevelopmentCollege students consider issues associated with personal identity, faith beliefs, and career options.Higher education should help students discover and pursue their vocational callings (Crosby, 2004; Dalton, 2001). Little empirical work examines the nature and development of vocational calling.

Research Hypotheses

Vocational Development is the intersection of Faith Development and Identity Development.

Faith and Vocational Development are significantly correlated for all students.

Men and Women discern and act upon vocational calling differently.Barriers to vocational discernment and action differ by gender.

MethodParticipants: 190 first-year college students.

Private, Christian Liberal Arts55% female; 45% maleAge range 18-20 years (M= 18.66)3% African American; 13% Asian; 72% Caucasian; 10% Latino

Measures

Faith Attitudes and Behaviors

Vocational Discernment and Action

Vocational Barriers

Faith Attitudes and Behaviors

Subscales Sample Items

Strength of Belief(alpha = .81)

•I view myself as a religious person.•I have doubts about whether my religious beliefs are true.

Faith Behavior(alpha = .88)

•How often do you attend religious services?•How often have you read a devotional, religious, or spiritual book in the last year?

Application of Faith(alpha = .90)

•I depend on my faith in God for decision-making and direction.•I try hard to carry my religious beliefs into all other dealings in my life.

Vocational Discernment and Action

Subscales Sample Items

Discernment and Purpose(alpha = .76)

•I have a good sense for my life purpose.•I know of the many ways that I can use my gifts and talents within the context of my professional career.•I am unsure about what God is specifically calling me to do.

Service to Others(alpha = .68)

•I am motivated to choose a career that will enable me to provide some type of service to others.•I feel a deep sense of responsibility for reducing pain and suffering in the world.

Vocational BarriersSubscales Barriers to life purpose

fulfillment

Personal Barriers(alpha = .84)

•Fear•Emotional Problems•Self-doubt•Lack of motivation

Interpersonal Barriers(alpha = .86)

•A parent•A friend•A boy/girl friend•A teacher or professor

Social and Cultural Barriers(alpha = .90)

•Lack of financial resources•Feeling pressure or a desire to get married•Feeling that my opportunities are limited by the gender stereotypes of society

Procedures

Random sample of 300 students recruited from the 2002 entering class for Web survey. Response rate: 68%.Most survey items required Likert response using a 5-point scale ranging from “not at all” to “very much”. Participants received convocation credit for their participation.

ResultsStrong Relationship Between Faith and Vocation

Significant Gender DifferencesFaith Attitudes and BehaviorsVocational Discernment and ActionVocational Barriers

Correlations between Faith and Vocation Scores

Faith Total Belief Behavior Application

VocationTotal .49** .36** .45** .51**

Discern .30* .27** .25** .33**

Service .49** .31** .48** .48**

**p<.01, *p<.05

Gender Differences in Faith Attitudes &

Behaviors

Application of Faith Scores

20

20.5

21

21.5

22

22.5

23

F=4.22, p<.05

FemalesMales

Gender Differences for Individual Application of Faith Items

I try hard to carry my religious beliefs into all other dealings in my life.

I look to God for strength, support, and guidance.

Faith Behavior Scores

20

25

30

35

40

45

F=6.54, p<.02

FemalesMales

Gender Differences for Individual Faith Behavior Items

Taking part in activities and organizations of church or place of worshipFrequency of prayerFinding strength and comfort in religion or faithFeeling God’s love directly or through othersAwareness of God’s presence

Strength of Belief Scores

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

F=1.26, p=.26

FemalesMales

Gender Differences in Vocational Discernment and

Action

Service Scores

17

17.5

18

18.5

19

19.5

20

20.5

21

F=16.86, p<.001

FemalesMales

Gender Differences for Individual Service Items

Plan to enter career that emphasizes service to othersFeel a deep sense of responsibility for reducing pain and suffering in worldMotivated to choose career that enables to provide service to others rather than career with financial rewards or power and prestige

Discernment Scores

0

5

10

15

20

25

F=.30, p=.58

FemalesMales

Gender Differences in Vocational Barriers

Personal Barriers Scores

2121.5

2222.5

2323.5

2424.5

2525.5

26

F=13.00, p<.001

FemalesMales

Gender Differences for Individual Personal Barriers Items

FearEmotional ProblemsSelf-doubtNeed for personal control over lifeNeed to feel secure and safe

Interpersonal Barriers Scores

88.28.48.68.8

99.29.49.69.810

F=4.24, p<.05

FemalesMales

Gender Differences for Individual Interpersonal Barriers Items

Perception that parents prevent females from fulfilling life purpose

Social and Cultural Barriers Scores

12

12.5

13

13.5

14

14.5

15

F=8.79, p<.02

FemalesMales

Gender Differences for Individual Social and Cultural Barriers

Items

Lack of financial resources

Societal gender stereotypes impose limits

ConclusionsThe current study provides:

First empirical work to examine characteristics of vocational development in a college student sample.The current study provides support for theoretical propositions previously described in the literature.

ConclusionsFaith attitudes and behaviors are strongly associated with vocational discernment and action.This relationship is consistent across gender. It holds true for males as well as females.

ConclusionsFaith expression varies by gender.

Application of FaithFemales view their Faith as impacting their whole lives.

Faith BehaviorFemales are more likely to practice the habits of faithful and religious life.

ConclusionsVocational discernment and action varies by gender.

Females more likely to plan careers of service and to feel called to alleviate pain and suffering in the world.

ConclusionsExperiences with barriers to vocational action vary by gender.

Females perceive a greater number of barriers in fulfilling their life purpose:

PersonalInterpersonalSocietal