Processes in the Formation of Adolescents' Aspirations

The aspirationi levels of highl I. Q., male high school students were found to be positively associated with the motivational directives of parents and the students' interaction in higher status reference groups. Similarly, the authoritarian and conforming respondents tended to follow the motivational directives of their parents more frequently than did the non-authoritarian and non-conforming individuals. These findings have possible implications for the role of the educational counselor in the academic setting. his paper attempts to further explain the developnment of male adolescents' aspirations. After a brief analysis of some of the conceptual problems concerning this topic, a discussion of the hypotheses tested in this researc'h is presented. The specific variables which are considered in the present study in rnlation to the development of the aspirations of students are (1) the direct education,al and occupational motivations of parents, (2) tile interaction of students in higher status reference groups, (3) authoritarianism, and (4) conformity ranks of the respondents. Since social class position and I.Q. tend to exert signiificant effects upoln childrens' aspirations these two factors are held constant. The educational and occupational aspirations anid the general social mobility of the Western citizenry has been one of the most frequently studied dimensions in our relatively brief sociological history, and these numerous research efforts have borne much fruit. Many factors hiave been singled out which contribute to the clevelopment of the aspirational levels of adolescents. Social class position of parents,' parents' aspirational urges,2 I.Q.,3 an individual's socio-emotional adjustment,4 social class composition of one's school,5 social status of an individual's close peers,6 early-sclhool performaice,7 downward social mobility of parents,8 special talents in sports, "personality" and so forth,9 and need for achievement,10 have all been reported to contribute to the formation of adolescents' ambitions. At first glance these ten factors appear to be separate entities. However, upon closer scrutiny it becomes apparent that these dimensions may be classified into four more or less dis* Revised and expanded version of a paper read at the annual meeting of Eastern Sociological Society, 1963, New York. The author is indebted to Elton F. Jackson for helpful criticisms of an earlier draft of this paper and to Judson B. Pearson and Blaine Mercer's aid in the formulation of the research. Hubert M. Blalock, Richard F. Curtis, and August B. Hollingshead also made acute comments at various poilnts throughout the writing of this paper. 1 August B. Hollingshead, Elmntozun's Youth (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1949). 2 Richard L. Simpson, "Parenital Influence and Social Mobility," Atmerican Sociological Review, Vol. 27 (August 1962), pp. 517-522; Joseph Kahl, "Adolescent Ambition," unpublished doctoral (lissertation (Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1951), p. 144; and David Bordua, "Educational Aspirations and Parental Stress on College," Social Forces, Vol. 38 (March 1960), pp. 262-269. ' William H. Sewell, Archie Haller, and Murray Straus, "Social Status and Educational and Occupational Aspirations," Amnerican Sociological Review, Vol. 22 (February 1957), p. 71. 4 Ralph Turner, "Some Family Determinants of Ambition," Sociology and Social Research, Vol. 46 (July 1962), pp. 397-411. 5 Alan Wilson, "Residential Segregation of Social Classes and Aspirations of High School Boys," Americant Sociological Review, Vol. 24 (December 1959), pp. 836-845. 6 Simpson, op. cit. 7 Kahl, op. cit. 8 Seymour M. Lipset and Reinhard Bendix, Social Jl4obility in Industrial Society (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1962), p. 238. 9 Kahl, op. cit. 10 Bernard D. Rosen, "The Achievement Syndrome," American Sociological Review, Vol. 21 (April 1956), pp. 191-204. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.203 on Thu, 20 Oct 2016 04:10:04 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms