Wednesday, December 20, 2023

 

Schar school researchers to receive funding for nonprofit employment data project



Grant and Award Announcement

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY




Schar School Researchers To Receive Funding For Nonprofit Employment Data Project 

Alan Abramson, Professor, Government and Politics; Mirae Kim, Associate Professor, Nonprofit Studies; and Stefan Toepler, Professor, Nonprofit Studies, are set to receive funding for: "Nonprofit Employment Data Project." 

The researchers will produce a comprehensive report on nonprofit employment in the United States, based on new data that is expected to be released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) early in 2024. The researchers will also arrange for the transfer of the Nonprofit Works interactive database application, which is currently hosted by Johns Hopkins University, to Mason, with the needed updating and redesign of the platform and its website. Additionally, the researchers will collaborate with a coalition of nonprofit leaders seeking to improve and make more accessible information about nonprofits in a variety of federal databases, including those maintained by BLS, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and others.  

The researchers will receive $150,000 from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for this project. Funding will begin in Jan. 2024 and will end in late Dec. 2025. 

Project staff will also seek to raise additional project funding of at least $40,000 to complement the Mott Foundation’s significant investment. 

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From interests to employment (or not): New study explores gender gaps in career paths


Peer-Reviewed Publication

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY





EAST LANSING, Mich. – A recent study out of Michigan State University found significant variations in career interests between men and women. Surprisingly, even with these interest differences, gender gaps in career opportunities are more substantial than anticipated.

The study also noted that these gender differences are more pronounced at lower education levels. This suggests a pressing need for gender diversity efforts to concentrate on professions that do not require a college degree.

The study, published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior examined similarities and differences in men’s and women’s career interests using a national sample of 1.28 million participants. Gender differences in interests were then compared to gender disparities in career choices using national employment data. The researchers also examined gender differences within intersecting social groups, like age, ethnicity and educational attainment, which have not been previously assessed.

“There’s been a big push to get women in STEM, which has been great, but we also need to focus more on getting men into prosocial careers, such as teaching, as well as getting women into the trades,” said Kevin Hoff, lead author of the study and assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Psychology. “The trades are growing in demand and aren’t going to be replaced by automation anytime soon, and if more men enter teaching and helping careers, it will help reduce the rigidity of other career stereotypes.”

Despite being interested in prosocial occupations like teaching, counseling and health care services, men were underemployed in these careers. Additionally, women were underemployed in many high-status occupations including management, engineering and computer science, and in jobs that involve working with tools and machinery, relative to their interest in these careers.

“We know that people’s interests are shaped by gender roles and stereotypes, so we need educational programs to help combat this when it comes to job interests and employment,” said Hoff. “However, equal gender representation in all career fields doesn’t have to be the goal. We still want people working in jobs that interest them.”

The researchers recognize that their study focused on men and women as categories. They advocate for additional research exploring gender identity and intersectionality in the workforce.

By Shelly DeJong

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Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. One of the world's leading research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

For MSU news on the web, go to MSUToday or twitter.com/MSUnews.

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