The present study aimed to observe the representations socially elaborated on gender as a determinant in professional activities. Two hundred and twenty-one (221) undergraduate and graduated people from the city of João Pessoa , with ages ranging from 17 to 79 years old (M=2.3; SD=1.25), were interviewed. Among them, one hundred and thirty-three (133 or 60.2%) were women. Through a semi-structured interview, the participants mentioned professions or activities, which are considered adequate to each sex. They had the possibility to opine on aspects like the characteristics of professions appropriated for men and women distinctively, and how the sex played an important role to determine the professional choices. It was observed that the participants mentioned approximately 80 professions characterized as being feminine, and 130 characterized as being masculine. The analysis of the discursive repertoires, made through the ALCESTE software, reports different characterizations of activities seen as being masculine, and those seen as being feminine ones. The results demonstrate the existence of segmentation between the professional profiles of men and women for the work field.
professions; representations; gender/sex; social roles
