The Power and Roots of Aspirations: A Survey of the Empirical Evidence

Fruttero, Anna; Muller, Noël; Calvo-Gonzalez, Oscar

doi:10.1596/1813-9450-9729

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…Consistent with this result, another study finds that aspirations that are ahead, but not too far ahead (attainable in a shorter time frame), provide the best incentives for key investments (Ray 2006). The availability of opportunities and the social and circumstantial factors shaping aspirations, meanwhile, can hinder the aspirations of disadvantaged groups (Fruttero et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Do high aspirations lead to better outcomes? Evidence from a longitudinal survey of adolescents in Peru

Graham

Pozuelo

2022

J Popul Econ

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Using a novel panel survey of relatively poor urban Peruvian adolescents, we explore the link between educational aspirations and propensity to invest in the future. Aspirations comprise hope and agency. We find remarkably high educational aspirations, even among relatively poor individuals and adolescents who were exposed to negative shocks, suggesting high levels of resilience. We also find high occupational aspirations and aspirations to migrate. High-aspiration respondents were also more likely to invest in their education and avoid risky behaviors. These are associations as we do not have enough data to establish causality, although we were able to control for within-person traits. Aspirations are stable over time and positively associated with personality traits such as self-efficacy and life satisfaction, which help explain their persistence over time. Our findings complement those of other recent studies that highlight the role of personality traits in addition to cognitive skills in long-term educational, health, and socioeconomic outcomes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Do high aspirations lead to better outcomes? Evidence from a longitudinal survey of adolescents in Peru

Graham

Pozuelo

2022

J Popul Econ

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“…These participants were selected for an in-depth interview. Six (6) of the participants were chosen at the onset of this study, and one (1) was added in the latter part. The addition was done to confirm and corroborate the results of the in-depth interviews.…”

Section: Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The inability of the poor to sustain their high educational aspirations was attributed to the fact that the poor have bigger families. Mik had eleven (11) siblings, Nini had twelve (12), Inday had seven (7), Toto and Nonoy had six (6), respectively, and Gaga had seventeen (17). The Official Poverty Statistics of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reported that as family size increases, poverty worsens.…”

Section: View On Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It means that the economic status of the parents with the opportunities, encouragement, and support they provide remains the most direct influence on young people's outcomes that shape their aspirations and values. As Fruttero et al (2021) concluded that high educational aspirations should not be considered as an end in themselves as they can backfire, with deleterious effects, if unmatched with opportunities.…”

Section: View On Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What Makes them Aspire: A Study on the Educational Aspirations of the Poor

Padernilla¹,

Siason²,

Patubo

2022

jhsss

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This qualitative-constructivist study sought to investigate the social and economic circumstances affecting the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that shaped the educational aspirations of the poor. With data collected through interviews of seven (7) participants chosen through purposive sampling and categorized as ‘poor’ by the City Social Welfare and Development Office, this paper employed the inductive thematic analysis. Results showed that the educational aspirations of the poor were affected by social circumstances such as having no family support, a large family, and limited schooling of the household members, while economic circumstances such as being poor, having low-wage parents, and working at an early age respectively. The poor’s educational aspirations were shaped by the ‘push’ factors of low earning potential and lack of opportunities for advancements and ‘pull’ factors of high employment probability and better economic conditions. Generally, the participants had high educational aspirations and viewed education as a treasure/tool, support, and protection. Discussions, implications, conclusions, and recommendations were advanced from the themes that emerged from the series of in-depth interviews with the participants.

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“…Thoughts about one's own future, both aspirations and expectations, can influence the human capital investments one makes today (Attanasio and Kaufmann, 2014;Fruttero et al, 2021;Janzen et al, 2017;La Ferrara, 2019;Lybbert and Wydick, 2018). For example, youths who aspire to obtain a college degree might invest more effort into studying during their high school years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%