Early Adolescents' Career Aspirations: A Qualitative Study of Perceived Barriers and Family Support among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Adolescents

Abstract

Based on themes grounded in the narratives, gender and ethnic differences emerged. Girls were more likely to express an understanding of the requirements for reaching their goals than were boys. Mexican girls were more likely to express traditionally female goals than were other girls. Adolescents of Mexican descent perceived fewer barriers for reaching their goals than did African Americans or Euro-Americans. Negative relationships were observed between career aspirations and perceived barriers and between perceived barriers and family support. The implications of the findings were discussed, in addition to directions for future research.Although it is well known that demographic characteristics (such as ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status) may affect or restrict the development of career aspirations, there is very little research that has studied 934

Self-efficacy beliefs and the relation between career planning and perception of barriers

“…Research on the perception of career barriers shows that adolescents are aware of this reality (Creed, Patton, & Bartrum, 2004;Hill, Ramirez, & Dumka, 2003). The research on this population shows that age differences in the perception of career barriers have more to do with the magnitude and number of barriers perceived than with the type of barriers (Patton, Creed, & Watson, 2003).…”

“…Cardoso (2009) found a similar type of increase in Portuguese students' perceptions of barriers between Grades 9 and 12. The task-specific nature of career barriers leads to differences in the main obstacles perceived across a range of career-related events: (a) access to higher education is especially limited by school grade averages (Cardoso, 2009), (b) remaining in school is made difficult by financial needs, peer pressure, and lack of time or skills (Hill et al, 2003), (c) the school-to-work transition is most hindered by lack of job security, such as short-term contracts or the absence of a contract (Cardoso, 2009), and (d) the occupational path is potentially vulnerable to sexual and ethnic discrimination and work-family role conflict (Cardoso, 2009;Cardoso & Ferreira Marques, 2001).…”

Parent Academic Involvement as Related to School Behavior, Achievement, and Aspirations: Demographic Variations Across Adolescence

“…aspirations in adolescence are often correlated (Abu-Hilal, 2000;Mao, 1995;Trusty, Robinson, Plata, & Ng, 2000), and supportive parents are associated with the development of career aspirations (Hill, Ramirez, & Dumka, 2003;McDonald & Jessell, 1992;McWhirter, Hacket, & Bandalos, 1998;Young & Freisen, 1990;Young, Freisen, & Borycki, 1994). Although research has consistently shown that parent academic involvement is associated with achievement and achievement is related to career and educational aspirations, little is known about whether parental involvement in schooling is ultimately related to adolescents' aspirations for adulthood and the mechanisms of influence, especially across the middle and high school years.…”

O suporte social e a personalidade são significativos para os objetivos de vida de adolescentes de diferentes configurações familiares?

“…No que concerne à associação entre as dimensões das variáveis em investigação, verificou-se que todas se associam de forma positiva, à exceção da dimensão neuroticismo, que revela uma associação negativa com todas as dimensões das variáveis. Embora a literatura encontre algumas lacunas ao nível da ligação entre as variáveis em estudo, é passível assumir que os jovens adolescentes com maior perceção do seu suporte social tendem a apresentar um maior investimento e interesse no estabelecimento dos seus objetivos de vida (Hill, Ramirez, & Dumka, 2003;Nurmi, 1991;Samp, Parker, & Duvall, 2006). Evidências empíricas sugerem que as relações pessoais mantidas com as figuras de suporte social (como sendo a família, os amigos e os pares) constituem um conjunto de experiências que promovem nos jovens uma autoavaliação positiva, motivação, e autoconfiança nas suas capacidades, o que se torna significativo para a realização dos seus objetivos (e.g., Massey et al, 2008;Salmela-Aro, 2009).…”

“…Para além disso, é na relação obtida com as figuras primordiais de cuidado que se tendem a interiorizar as características inerentes à mesma, orientando a elaboração de modelos internos dinâmicos, que permitem orientar e interpretar os seus comportamentos e os dos outros, bem como elaborar as suas escolhas face ao futuro (Ainsworth, 1989;Bowlby, 1988). Ao longo do ciclo desenvolvimental as relações estabelecidas com outras figuras significativas ganham relevância na vivência dos jovens e tendem a modificar-se e a expandir-se do contexto familiar para um contexto social mais alargado e variado (Antunes & Fontaine, 2005;Hill, Ramirez, & Dumka, 2003;Pratta & Santos, 2007). Este tipo de relações podem ser estabelecidas com figuras inerentes ao contexto escolar (e.g., professores, funcionários da escola), laboral (e.g., colegas de trabalho), com os grupos de pares (amigos), par romântico ou, eventualmente ao contexto institucional (e.g., monitores, funcionários da instituição).…”