Boys not only chose a much narrower range of placements than girls, they saw girls' options as traditionally feminine roles, principally child care. They also constrained the vocational choices of other boys through ostracising those deviating from masculine norms, using a range of abusive terms, often with connotations of sexual preference, to describe any young man who might chose a placement in social work, nursery nursing or caring for the elderly. Just no got the ability. See, in a nursery its aye women that work, cos you have to talk to the mothers and say what their weans been like all day. Boys don't do that kind of thing.
Teachers then are in a dilemma.
Asked how they would support a boy who made a gender-contrary choice, seven said they would treat him the same as a girl although four said they would find it difficult not to show surprise. I'd be flustered to be honest. I think I would try to dissuade him. It's not much of a career prospect for a man, to be honest. Strong connections were identified between gender-defined roles in work placement and the boys' expectations of their role in family life.