GENDER DIFFERENCES IN WORK VALUES - PERPETUATING THE MYTH

Using data obtained from 12 national samples contained in the General Social Survey over the period 1973 through 1990, this article analyzes the work value preferences of 7,436 full-time male and female workers, representing all major occupational classifications and all major industries. The data presented in the study provide no consistent support for general differences between men's and women's work values. Instead, the data suggest that regardless of gender one's preference for a given work value depends, in large part, on one's age, education, and occupational prestige. The authors argue that alleged gender differences are minimal, at best, and continued emphasis on differences merely serves to reinforce traditional gender-role stereotypes and to perpetuate gender inequality in the workplace.