The reproduction of gender differences in early career choices and professional identity of young dentist in Finland

Introduction For over the last 20 years, approximately 70% of working dentists in Finland have been women. However, there is internal division of the profession along gender lines. Female dentists work more often in the public sector and male dentists in the private sector. The aim of this study was to investigate the gender differences in young dentists' early career choices, specialization plans, values and perceptions of professional identity. Materials and methods The data were taken from a national e-mail questionnaire study called "Young Dentist," which was sent to 458 dentists who had received their licence to practise dentistry in 2014-2016 from all four universities with dental curricula in Finland. A total of 52% young dentists (n = 238) answered the questionnaire. Results and discussion The results indicated that whereas female dentists were more likely to perceive themselves as comforters, social workers and health promoters, male dentists tended to perceive themselves as technicians. These professional identities were interrelated with early-stage career choices in which female dentists worked more often in the public than in the private sector when compared to male dentists. There were also clear gender differences in the importance of values and the specialization plans of the young dentists. Conclusion Young dentists in Finland make career choices and develop professional identity in accordance with the attributes traditionally associated with cultural ideals related to femininity and masculinity.Peer reviewe

Intergenerational Dynamics Among Women and Men in Nursing

Research on nursing has focused heavily on the gendered aspects of nursing care while often overlooking diversity within the workforce, including age-related dynamics and multi-generational conflict on the job. This chapter explores the salience of age-related issues alongside gender in a sample of Baby Boomer (age 51+) and Millennial (age 23–31) nurses from the US to understand how age shapes the experiences and interactions of men and women in the nursing workforce. Based on survey data, Millennial nurses report feeling negative emotions more intensely compared to their Baby Boomer colleagues. Baby Boomer nurses are also more likely to evaluate their own care more highly overall and across a range of specific features of the job. Audio diary data reveals that themes of uncertainty and fear of future emotional burnout emerge from Millennial nurses, while some Baby Boomer nurses in our sample express open disdain for younger nurses in terms of work ethic and the interruptions they cause. Training of younger nurses can be experienced as burdensome and exhausting. We use the results to further theorise an emotion practice approach that highlights nurses’ need to conserve emotional resources and channel them toward patient care rather than co-worker support

Career and Romantic Relationship Goals and Concerns During Emerging Adulthood

This study examined emerging adults’ personal goals and concerns in the domains of career (including education, work, and financial issues) and romantic relationship. A particular focus was on goal and concern hierarchies, that is, individuals’ profiles of goals and concerns. A total of 1,052 Finnish emerging adults (63% female) were followed at ages 20 and 23. Latent class analyses yielded goal and concern profiles that were primarily related to career, whereas romantic relationships were less central in individuals’ goal and concern hierarchies. Career and romantic relationship goals and concerns were associated with life status in these domains, especially prioritizing career goals and concerns predicted being in education and/or employment. Our findings suggest that given the diversity of goals and concerns in emerging adulthood, it is crucial to take a holistic approach and investigate the interdependences and prioritizations among different career and romantic relationship goals and concerns