What is the role of parents, peers and teachers in shaping school experiences and informing the career choice of males and females? Does the school context matter, and to what extent do educational experiences influence young people's self-concept, values and their outlook to the future? Do teenage aspirations influence later outcomes regarding educational attainment and the assumption of work and family related roles? These questions and more are addressed in the chapters of this book, following lives over time and in context. The book is both innovative and timely, moving the discussion of gender inequalities forward, providing a dynamic and contextualized account of the way gendered lives evolve. Chapters address the role of institutional structures and the wider socio-historical context in helping young men and women to realize their ambitions. A unique feature is the longitudinal perspective, examining the role of multiple interlinked influences on individual life planning and attainment.

'The value here is the diversity of perspectives - in terms of discipline, national context, life stage - that Schoon, Eccles and their first-class team bring to the discussion of gender, school and work. By delving into this diversity, readers will come to understand how a young woman or man makes life decisions.'

Robert Crosnoe - University of Texas, Austin

'Extensive research in the United States has examined the role of differences in interests as well as structural barriers to equality for girls and women. Edited by Eccles, the major theorist in this area, and Schoon, with policy interests, this book expands on this literature and is a must read for anyone interested in gender and achievement. This book considers the entire lifespan, and incorporates research done in several European countries.'

Irene Hanson Frieze - University of Pittsburgh

'Rich evidence from impressive datasets interrogates complex intersections of personal and contextual factors which shape persistently gendered pathways into adulthood. The structured sections provide an effective way to communicate findings concerning early family and school socialisation, teen aspirations, and institutional and cultural structures. The wealth of longitudinal findings presented across developmental stages and cultural settings makes this collection, edited by eminent researchers Ingrid Schoon and Jacquelynne Eccles, a must read.'

Helen Watt - Monash University, Victoria

'This book demonstrates how gender differentials in educational and occupational aspirations and attainments emerge, and why they are so persistent. A particular strength of the contributions are the rich contextual assessments, the differentiated modeling of decision processes, the analysis of changing demands and needs across the life-span, and the prospective longitudinal studies. Schoon and Eccles have achieved the most comprehensive and objective assessment of what keeps unjust but also benign gender differentials alive, and why change requires a multi-facetted approach rather than one simple cure. This work is a must for everybody interested in gender differences in the world of education, training, and careers.'

Rainer Silbereisen - Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany

'This book establishes a landmark in the study of changing gender differences over the life course and their determinants. It is a fascinating and very informative collection of analyses into why and how the gender gap in education is reversing. The book offers new theoretical perspectives and a rich set of empirical information on developments in different life phases helping us to understand the new trends in gender inequality.'

Hans-Peter Blossfeld - European University Institute, Italy