Compared with mothers, the fathers did not serve as career role models.
Both children had little access to their fathers’ work and knew little
about their fathers’ careers, and because of this, they did not aspire to
their fathers’ careers. Xiaoming did not want to do his father’s career
“because I know little about the job. I think it may have nothing to
do with my favorite [subject] math.” Tina learned about her father’s
career by overhearing him talk with family members. Based on this, she
thought, “My dad’s work is really boring . . . because I think selling
those things like cameras [is boring].” Consistent with the children’s
perceptions, the fathers thought their children knew little about their
careers because they seldom talked about their careers to their children
or in front of them and the children had little access to their workplaces.
The two fathers had no intention of role modeling their careers, in part
because they had no clear idea about what they wanted the children
to do career-wise in the future. Tina’s father thought she might suit a
social science-related career rather than a natural science-related career
like his. Xiaoming’s father thought Xiaoming might not be interested
in his career and was not sure Xiaoming would suit his career.