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The last two decades of the 20th century have been marked in Greece by important changes concerning› The social position of women › Gender relations in the family › Gender roles› The lives of female population› Attitudes and believes about gender

identities

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Greek young women- gained a massive increase in access to all

levels of education (female students reached almost 60% of the total student population)

- participate in increasing numbers in the labour market (they constitute officially the 40% of the labour force)

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The successful participation of women in education does not challenge dominant ideologies

In all occupations and independently of their level of education, women are in the lowest positions in the professional hierarchy and receive lower income than men

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Changes in the Greek society shape new attitudes for young women and men

Within this changing social context conflicts and contradictions are identified in the transitions from youth to adulthood

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Recent Greek research on gender and transitions investigatesthe pressures, conflicts and contradictions

young people, and especially young women, face, when trying to take dicisions regarding their education and their adult life in the labour market and the family.

To present recent research findings that show aspects of youth transitions in Greece at the beginning of the 21st century

To connect these findings with strategies that would promote gender equality in the transition process from school to work and to adulthood

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Older research data (70’s and 80’s) on

Boys and girls’ access in education Girls’ school achievement The role of the school in reproducing gender

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Recent research data (90’s) on Boys’ and girls’ access in primary and

secondary education. Female students in Higher Education Girls’ achievement

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Greek data show Amelioration of the level of women’s

education during the last three decades Very good female achievement in all

types of examinations Massive participation of young women

in higher education (constituting the 60% of the total students’ population)

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However Women’s educational decisions are

still very traditional and gender specific

Gender divisions observed in higher education are reflected in their occupational choices

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o Recent bibliography on the role of the school in youth transitions

o Research on gender and transitiono Gender identities and our understanding

of the transition processes and life choices

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Research conducted in the frame of the project ‘Promoting gender equality in the transition from education to the job market’

Aims of the research: To contribute in our understanding of› The transitional mechanisms at the beginning of

the 21st century› Young people’s experience of femininity and

masculinity

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Representative national sample 8511 male and female pupils of Gymnasia (3d

Grade) and Lycea (1st Grade of General and Vocational Institutions)

7908 valid and fully answered questionnaires 51% boys - 49% girls 44% Gymnasium pupils, - 36% General

Lyceum pupils - 20% Vocational Lyceum pupils 309 male and female pupils of Intercultural

Schools 596 pupils of Evening Schools

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44.3% of male pupils and 58.4% of female pupils wish to continue their studies in higher education

10.3% of boys wish to find a job and stop studying after the Lyceum (girls: 5.2%)

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Girls Boys

General educational choice

University or Private Higher Institution

Technical School orTechnical Higher Education (TEI)

Pupils of General Secondary Education

Social Sciences and Humanities

Science and TechnologyNew Technologies

Pupils of Vocational Secondary Education

Nursing, Hair-dressing, Business AdministrationAccounting, Applied Art

Electronics, Car Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Informatic

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Girls Boys

Attitude towards school

Positive Negative or neutral

Views on school knowledge

Knowledge and the process of learning are means of self empowerment

School knowledge is absolute and a product of the dominant ideology

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Girls BoysTeachers of all levels (18,7%)Public or private sector employeesFreelancers with University degreeDeny the role of the housewifeSelection criterion: the job should be interesting, creative, allow the combination of family and work, offer financial independence

Teachers of all levels (6.5% only)Small entrepreneurs and specialized technicians (25.8%)Athletes and artists, farmers, entrepreneurs and civil servants of higher levelSelection criterion: the job should offer financial security, fame and money

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Girls Boys

Agree with progressive views on women’s work and gender roles in the family

Agree with conservative views regarding the gendered division of work in the society and gender roles in the family traditional views on the role of women in the family

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Girls Boys Creating a family is their first priority for their adult life

Chose a job that would allow the combination of family and work

Create a family is not a priority

Prefer their wife not to work (they want her to stay at home, do the household and take care of husband and children)

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Results showo A general view of gender divisions in the

disciplines, occupations and roles o A broadened conception of female identity

showing that social change is connected with and promoted by women

o A differentiated association of the two genders with education, which now plays a much more important role in girls’ than in boys’ transitions

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o Reconstruction of the official and dominant discourses of gender in education, with the aim to broadening the content of male and female identities (emphasis in the role of teachers and education policy makers)

o Promoting the idea that gender equality has not only to do with changing women, but should involve both genders in a process of change (promoting changes in education that should influence male identities)

o Developing projects of Vocational Guidance and Counseling that focus on the reconciliation of family and working life for both genders (trying to involve adolescents, vocational guidance counselors and young people’s parents in this process) 04/20/23 22