... Parents' expectations had a strong and positive direct effect on adolescents' expectations and indirect effects through school-based parental involvement and through students' high school involvement. (Trusty, 2002) All in all, African-American girls appeared to be positively influenced in almost every measure of achievement, if those desirable behaviors were reinforced by positive group interactions. Such a study presents clear evidence that the psychology of the group, and the assumptions made by society, play a large and significant role in shaping opportunities for African-American women. Those who do not have the support of their families, friends, and educators, will not receive the encouragement necessary to make the proper choices in regard to career. They will not pursue the education that is required for advancement to positions with higher earnings potential. Even more likely, lacking sufficient encouragement, young African-American girls will find themselves locked into unfulfilling "careers" that bring little in the way of personal or community reward.

Women's career development presents issues absent from the same kinds of strictly career choices made by most men. A woman's choices are often determined by powerful social and cultural forces that shape her decisions in accordance with frequently false assumptions in regard to women's needs, abilities, and aspirations. Many times, women must forego entry into traditionally male-dominated fields. They advance more slowly up through the ranks of management in the corporate world. It is not unusual for women to cast their careers in a subsidiary role to children and partners. As a result, a woman's career path is more often interrupted - and ultimately destroyed - as she sacrifices for the benefit of her husband or partner's career. The prejudices that operate against almost all women are far worse for members of many minority groups. Among Asian-Americans, for example, cultural pressure discourages women from seeking any meaningful outlet outside the home. Women are saddled with the responsibility of perpetuating patriarchal cultural traditions. African-American women, as well, depend very largely for success upon positive encouragement from their community i.e. parents, friends, teachers, etc. Community involvement in positive goal development, considerably increases the likelihood that African-American women will set higher goals for...

Everywhere, culture shapes women's career choices and opportunities. In some cultures and sub-cultures, those influences are more negative than in others.