In the 1960s, the most popular occupations for males were doctor, lawyer, and pilot, while the most popular occupations for women include teacher, nurse, and secretary. Young boys and girls dreamed of being race car drivers, soldiers, fashion models, and stewardesses.
Some women were interested in typically male occupations, such as doctor and lawyer, in the early 1960s. Women were permitted to attend college and become doctors and lawyers, but they had difficulty finding employment. A key issue of the decade was the contestation of preconceived notions of gender roles held by society. As the 1960s progressed, an increasing number of men showed interest in traditionally female occupations such as teacher, nurse, and secretary. Men were typically not prevented from acquiring these positions. In almost every instance, women who desired to become fire fighters or police officers were impeded by their gender. The following uprisings of the 1960s provided young men and women the opportunity to pursue more diversified careers. There is a significant difference between the jobs that were popular at the beginning of the decade and those that were popular as the 1970s approached. By the end of the 1960s, women and men had more career alternatives than ever before, as a result of the era’s dramatic shift in the employment landscape.
