Gender-sensitive career counseling: An innovative approach

Significant social changes and affirmative action policies that have occurred in the last three decades in the Western world have still not reduced status differences and inequalities between men and women in the job landscape. These disparities may be due to occupational gender stereotypes – i.e., beliefs regarding occupational roles and the types of training men and women should take on. The present chapter examines the effect of gender stereotypes on occupational choices and discusses intervention strategies that counselors could use to address such stereotypes. Beyond career interventions on gender stereotypes operating individually or on small groups, a new methodological and conceptual approach to overcoming gender stereotypes in a wider process of public engagement is presented. This interdisciplinary approach, using tools and methods from other research areas such as World Cafè, Service Design Thinking, and Hackathons aims to promote social behavioral changes regarding gender issues in large numbers of people at affordable costs.