Unlocking hidden barriers: an overview and a research agenda on career challenges for disadvantaged men

What is it about?

This paper explores the often-overlooked career challenges faced by men from disadvantaged backgrounds, primarily within Western contexts, and focuses on key career outcomes. It highlights the underutilization of an intersectionality framework in studying men and employs a social structural approach to examine how gender norms contribute to unique barriers they encounter. We first document the relative paucity of intersectional research focused on men’s careers. We then provide examples from existing studies, illustrating the difficulties faced by men at various intersections during their critical career stages (i.e., vocational preparation and career entry), along with broader societal changes likely to affect them. We then close with recommendations and suggestions for future research.

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