Influences on High School Adolescents’ College and Career Aspirations and Expectations

• In Event: Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: Division E Section 1 Poster Session

Abstract

Adolescents from working and professional class backgrounds were interviewed on how their aspirations and expectations for college and career were influenced by their perceptions of their parents’ and significant others’ aspirations and expectations. Findings indicate adolescents learn of parents' aspirations and expectations through: conversations with parents, observation of parents' involvement in the adolescents' academic process, and actions parents took toward their own higher education. Also revealed was how some working class parents were negative examples to their same-sex adolescents and some professional class mothers were positive examples to their daughters. Furthermore, many working class adolescents indicated significant others (e.g., guidance counselors) were instrumental in creating social capital that allowed them to turn their parents’ dreams into their personal reality.

Author

• Katherine Meyer Moran, Boston University