Standing Alone, Working Together: tensions surrounding young Canadian women's views of the workplace

This qualitative study explored how young Canadian women view the role of work in their present and future lives. Semi-structured interviews and focus group sessions were conducted with 12 high school girls, ranging in age from 16 to 19 years. Results indicate that all of the young women plan to work for at least part of their adulthood, but do so with varying degrees of commitment to the role of formal work in their lives. The workplace which they envision will support both their need for individual development and their desire to maintain meaningful relationships. Their plans for participation in this workplace, however, suggest that the interfacing of professional and interpersonal goals remains problematic and confusing for young women today. Implications for education and intervention are discussed.