Gender variation in developmental trajectories of educational and occupational expectations and attainment from adolescence to adulthood.

Abstract

Adolescents' future expectations are a potentially important precursor of adult attainment and may illuminate how males and females vary in schooling and work. Thus, this longitudinal study examined gender variation in developmental trajectories of educational and occupational expectations from adolescence to adulthood and in connection to corresponding adult attainment. National data (NELS:88) including individuals aged 14 to 26 and hierarchical linear modeling analyses yielded several findings: Males and females had similar developmental trajectories of educational expectations from adolescence to adulthood with the sample average expecting to attend college. Probabilities of expecting a professional occupation were lower for males than females. Adolescent educational and occupational expectations predicted corresponding attainment in adulthood, although the relationship varied by gender. Males who reported high occupational expectations in adolescence had higher occupational attainment in adulthood compared to males with low occupational expectations, whereas females' adult occupational attainment did not vary by their adolescent occupational expectations. Gender variation in expectations and attainment is discussed in light of historical changes, and future directions of research are proposed.

Hidden Human Capital: Psychological Empowerment and Adolescent Girls' Aspirations in India

“…Our focus on aspirations in these two domains as our key dependent variables, rather than actual attainment, is motivated by the fact that previous studies have argued that adolescent aspirations for the future are important predictors of adult attainment. For example, it has been shown that young people with high employment aspirations are more likely to enter a professional career in adulthood (Clausen, 1993;Mello, 2008;Schoon, Martin, & Ross, 2007;Schoon & Parsons, 2002). Similarly, a number of studies in Australia and the United Kingdom have identified a 'lack of aspiration' as being one of the key barriers to participation in further education for poorer students (Bradley et al 2008;James et al 2008;Goodman and Gregg, 2010).…”

Uncovering the Origins of the Gender Gap in Political Ambition

“…This omission in the literature is critical because a general interest in, or openness toward, running for office early in life can set the stage for a political candidacy decades later. Young people's career goals, after all, tend to be excellent predictors of the occupations they ultimately attain (Ashby and Schoon 2010;Mello 2008;Trice and McClellan 1993). Many gendered attitudes about running for office, then, may result from deeply embedded socialized norms that are conveyed long before women and men find themselves in the candidate eligibility pool.…”

An Examination of the Expected Timing of Transitions into Adulthood among Rural Men and Women

“…Although the current paper did not include follow-up data, research has shown the expectations for the timing of transitions predict the actual timing of transitions (Beal & Crockett, 2010;Crockett & Beal, 2012;Mello, 2008). However, without longitudinal data, causality and directionality cannot be determined.…”