Career Aspirations of Women in the 20th Century

At various times throughout history, working women were viewed as immoral and unfeminine objects of pity. Some critics accused working women of being negligent mothers. Frequently, women employees were not taken seriously by their bosses, colleagues, or society(Nieva & Gutek, 1981). Having a career posed challenges for women due to their family responsibilities (Valdez & Gutek, 1987). Women were expected to perform duties as wife and mother, in addition to fulfilling their professional responsibilities. Some women experienced feelings of guilt or selfishness if they put their career interests first (Heins, Hendricks, & Martindale, 1982). Because women's work and family demands were simultaneous, these demands had a significant impact on women's careers (Valdez, & Gutek). As stated by Heins et al., "Achieving professional status may be more difficult for women than for men" (p. 455).