In our time, the possibility of choice in professional self-realization are characterized by the variety of opportunities that are similar for both boys and girls. However, the absence of formal restrictions in professional self-determination does not give the individual complete freedom from the pressure of gender stereotypes. Belonging to one of the gender categories can quite significantly determine the nature of the valuable and semantic foundations of a person in choosing a career, career planning, life strategy and assessing the success of life. Currently, the idea of the division of professions into "female" and "male" are still presented in the social consciousness, and this affects the possibility of including the image profession in self-concept. For example, professional role may face the exclusion from the semantic categories of gender, especially in case of gender-non-typical profession, or actualization of the gender role in self-awareness can create complexity of professional self-determination (Athanasou, van Esbroeck, 2008; Kemmet, 2017).
Modern gender transformations also serve as a source of intrapersonal conflicts (Lopukhova, 2013a), which may affect the uncertainty and instability of professional self-determination (Lopukhova, 2013b). It is, in fact, a poorly understood blending of conflicting social norms that cause conflict of identity and, as a consequence, emotional and behavioral problems (Hirsh, Kang, 2015). Intrapersonal conflicts of student’s professional self-determination are expressed in dissatisfaction with the choice of profession, the unwillingness to continue professional education, the exclusion of career goals from the strategy of life, the sense of failure, etc. (Sadovnikova, 2016; Shulga, Kolomiіets, 2017; Gerasimova & Gerasymova, 2016).
Theoretical frameworks of this study are the theory of self-determination (Deci, Ryan, 2008) and the theory of gender lenses (Bem, 1974). Deci and Ryan consider self-determination as the freedom to choose, despite the constraints of the environment and connect it with intrinsic motivation. In this sense, professional self-determination should not depend on gender norms and bias, particularly in blurring gender boundaries and mixing roles. At the same time, Bem's cognitive approach draws attention to the fact that in one environment different people can perceive gender in their minds to varying degrees. In particular, Bem identifies "gender-typed persons" who perceive the world and themselves through gender categories and "non-gender-typed persons” who are not inclined to gender categorization. Within this theory framework, it is assumed that lack of gender categorization that does not define rigid external schemes for self-determination is more adaptive. However, the choice of the profession and the development of the individual in the framework of professional norms often face gender stereotypes and prejudices. The notions of "male" and "female" professions, as well as the fact that the “male life strategy” is associated primarily with professional development, and "female" - with the family sphere are still strong.
This study is based on the assumption that the professional self-determination of students in higher education is often internally conflictual because of the gender influence, in particular values, perceptions and images that underlie the self-realization of the person as a man or as a woman. On the other hand, internal gender conflict of young people due to the trends of mixing gender roles may lead to unstable professional self-determination, to uncertainty in the choice of profession or dissatisfaction of professional choice.
Since the psychological support of professional education, professional orientation and counseling cannot be carried out adequately without taking into account the gender specificity of the professional self-determination process, the results of this research will complement understanding of the causes of professional self-determination intrapersonal conflicts. In practice, this will provide an opportunity to develop methods for supporting professional development with orientation towards gender characteristics of the individual.