Teenage Aspirations for Future Careers and Occupational Outcomes

In a follow-up study of over 17,000 individuals born 12 years apart (in 1958 and 1970) this article investigates the formation and realization of teenage career aspirations in a changing sociohistorical context. Two types of analytical models, a mediating model and a contextual systems model, were used to analyze the processes by which the effects of social structure influence teenage aspirations and subsequent occupational attainment. Both models suggest that teenage aspirations in combination with educational attainments are a major driving force in the occupational development of young people and that they mediate the effects of socioeconomic background factors. The contextual system model is an elaboration of the mediating model, providing additional insights into the effects of distal and proximal contexts. Differences in the experiences of young people growing up 12 years apart indicate that the sociohistorical context plays a key role in shaping occupational progression. For the later born cohort the importance of educational credentials has increased, both in influencing teenage aspirations and predicting adult occupational outcomes.     

Longitudinal Analysis of Select Influences on Adolescents' Occupational Aspirations

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 was used to investigate the longitudinal influence of select demographic and latent variables on the development of adolescents' occupational aspirations at three critical points in the career development process—early, mid-, and late adolescence. Linear structural equation (LISREL) analysis examined the contributions of family status, academic achievement, and social psychological variables. Occupational aspirations of adolescents were relatively stable across the 4-year time period. Further, earlier aspirations offered significant predictive power for subsequent ones. Structural coefficients for social demographic variables indicated that socioeconomic status (SES) had significant effects on adolescents' aspirations. In contrast, two latent variables, academic achievement and self-evaluation, initially represented only modest effects on aspirations which then decreased consistently over time.     

Socioeconomic Status and Occupational Aspirations of High School Seniors in Nigeria

This study examines the effects of socioeconomic status on the occupational aspirations and motivation for occupational preference of high school seniors in Nigeria. The article suggests ways by which counselors can help students who are less privileged.     

Education and Career Aspirations of Palestinian and U.S. Youth

Abstract

Belief in free will or determinism is related to attitudes toward punishment and to locus of control. The relationships remain ambiguous, however, perhaps because the belief has been viewed historically as a unidimensional construct. The responses of 507 American undergraduates to a free will-determinism questionnaire established the existence of two types of deterministic belief—psychosocial and religious-philosophical—and a separate, independent belief in libertarianism. Beliefs about punishment were multidimensional, consisting of attitudes toward punitiveness and rehabilitation. Respondents with higher scores on psychosocial or religious-philosophical determinism or libertarianism were more punitive than those with lower scores. High scores on either type of determinism were associated with more external locus of control scores. Respondents who rated the free will-determinism items for themselves and those who rated them for people in general differed on a number of dependent measures.     

Factors Related to Career Aspirations of New Entrants into a Stratified Occupational System

A transactional model of career aspirations is presented. Selected variables from the model were measured with a postal questionnaire completed by 346 new entrants into a stratified occupational system. Factors found to be strongly related to initial career aspiration levels included sex and educational qualifications. These variables were found to mediate other factor relationships with career aspirations.     

Aspirations for College

This study was conducted in an attempt to assess accurately the aspirations for college among a sample of male secondary school students over a 4-year period. 3 groups were identified—one composed of students who aspired to college and to occupations typically requiring a college degree, one composed of those not aspiring to college, and the other composed of students who indicated a disparity between their educational and occupational aspirations. These groups were investigated for differences in self-concept of ability, perceived parental evaluation, social class, and grade-point average. It was hypothesized that the college aspirers would be significantly higher than those not aspiring to college and the disparity group on each of the four variables. The results indicated that the hypotheses were tenable at each grade level from 7 to 10.     

Visions and Aspirations

SUMMARY

This chapter explores key characteristics of an ideal feminist educational environment, one that specifically focuses on the intellectual development and training of feminist therapists. Such an environment is dependent on an ongoing relationship among three entitiesstudents, instructors, and the institutionand characteristics of each of these three entities are discussed. The chapter evaluates the present climate within universities, and whether that climate offers the potential to promote or stifle a feminist environment.     

Substance Use Among Native American Indian Youth: A Selected Review of Causality

The author presents a selected review of substance use causality among Native American Indian youth. A review of selected empirical research relative to substance use is given. In addition, selected examples of research-oriented implications and practical suggestions are offered.     

Black Women's Career Aspirations

A 2-page questionnaire dealing with career aspirations and expectations was administered to undergraduates at four institutions, of which two were women's colleges and two were universities. Results suggest that Black women as a group predict that they will be earning less than Black males; white women as a group predict that they will be earning less than white men but the pay gap is narrower. While some employers may believe that Black women enjoy a special advantage in the job market, students who are Black and female do not, it seems, share that optimism.     

Career Aspirations of Pregnant Teens

This study examined the career aspirations of pregnant teens enrolled in a program designed to minimize their chances of dropping out of high school. The teens completed a demographic data form that included questions on their career aspirations. The data were coded by Holland type using the Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes. Trends were discussed in light of the future labor market and critical need for career counseling for this at-risk population.     

Understanding Appalachian Values

This paper, which is based on the Model of Human Occupation, examined Southern Appalachian subcultural values through a review of the literature and two case studies. The subjects for this study were one male and one female both over the age of fifty and of the working class, who had lived in the Southern Appalachian region from birth to the time of the study. Values were assessed through interviews which consisted of a series of questions written by the investigator and based on the literature review, the Values Orientation Interview Schedule and an Activity Configuration. Results supported the literature which discusses the values of persons of the Southern Appalachian region which differ from those of the typical middle class American. The study reinforced the importance of occupational therapists integrating information on values and culture into the treatment planning process.     

新世纪话心声

据最新统计,在中国教会有1864位牧师在全国各地忠心事奉,他们任劳任怨,默默无闻地奉献自己。带领教会众信徒走爱国爱教独立自主自办教会之路,积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应,记者目前电话采访了他们中的几位湖南省基督教两会付新德牧师,山西省基督教两会伏丽莎牧师,重庆市基督教两会廖海鹰牧师,河南省基督教两会郑春时牧师,请他们谈谈在事奉岗位上的体会和感想。     

重叠共识与公共辩护的抱负——答张途与惠春寿

张途和惠春寿对《辩护的政治》的评论和批判主要集中在公共辩护的"辩护性"与"公共性"的含义、体现方式上。张途认为相较于其他强调公共辩护的认知面向的理论家,罗尔斯的公共辩护优势在于其公共性。而惠春寿恰恰认为《辩护的政治》中所阐发的公共辩护没有体现公共性。惠春寿同时认为必须对重叠共识的角色做更为现实的理解,才能说明辩护性问题。《辩护的政治》对"公共性"问题的说明确实过于简略,需要修订补充,而在全面准确地理解罗尔斯的公共辩护的理论抱负及"双重视角"辩护策略的前提下,公共辩护的"辩护性"是可以获得合理说明的。     

Factors Affecting the Career Aspirations of Asian Americans

The authors compared the career considerations of a group of Asian American college students (52 men and 72 women) with a comparison group of Caucasian students (95 men and 151 women) using an Occupations List. The results revealed that Asian American students were more likely to have considered Investigative occupations and less likely to have considered Enterprising and Conventional occupations than were the Caucasian students. There were also differences in the career considerations of the two racial groups in terms of the prestige level and gender traditionality of the occupations. The implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.     

Mexican-American High School Students: Educational Aspirations

Acculturation, academic achievement, and parental expectations were shown to predict the educational aspirations of Mexican-American high school students. Acculturation was also shown to mediate Mexican-American student's attitudes concerning the importance they placed on future job security and career success. Implications for counselors and educators are discussed.