Between Aspirations and Policies: How Families, Schools, and the State Define Generation Z’s Pathways in Türkiye

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Contemporary Issues In Education

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how Generation Z youth in Türkiye navigate aspirations amid structural inequality and sociopolitical uncertainty. Using Bourdieu’s theory of practice and an affective reading of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the study draws on interviews with 24 youth from diverse educational tracks. It reveals how class, schooling, and public policy shape belonging and aspiration, exposing disillusionment, symbolic violence, and mistrust in institutions. By combining emotional and structural lenses, the study situates Türkiye as a key non-Western case of post-neoliberal reform and contributes to global conversations on educational equity and generational justice.

Authors

• Gulcin Aslan, Eskisehir Osmangazi University

• Hamit Ozen, Eskisehir Osmangazi University

• Eman Abo-Zaed Arar, Texas State University

• Khalid Husny Arar, Texas State University