Predicting the Occupational Aspirations, Occupational Expectations, and Career Maturity of Black and White Male and Female 10th Graders

Abstract

Most investigations into the factors related to career maturity, occupational aspirations, and occupational expectations have had limited utility because (a) minorities and females were excluded from the sample or (b) potentially important variables were not included in the research design. The purpose of this research was to begin to correct these oversights by studying Black and White females and by focusing on variables that seem to be theoretically and empirically related to the above constructs (career maturity, occupational aspirations, and occupational expectations). Research of this type can inform practice by identifying variables that, if properly addressed, can enhance the career-decision-making process. Theory improvement can also result from an increased understanding of the complex relationships among sociodemographic and psychological variables and career maturity, occupational aspirations, and occupational expectations.One desired outcome was to clarify the conflicting data regarding the relationship of self-concept to career maturity and occupational aspirations and expectations for minorities and females. Super's (1953Super's ( , 1955 theory suggests that self-concept is the primary variable, and research in career development that focused on White males supports this proposition (Hunt,

The Relationship Between Attitudinal and Behavioral Aspects of Career Maturity

“…The low scores obtained by this sample of Black youth is consistent with other literature showing lower career maturity scores for minorities than for Whites (Karayanni, 1981;McNair & Brown, 1983). Reasons for such findings may vary.…”

“…He found that these instruments largely reflect a White, middle-class perspective in the way their items were constructed, selected, and standardized, and therefore questioned the appropriateness of their use with minority groups. Supporting this view, a number of investigations have found that Whites score higher than Blacks on career maturity (e.g., Karayaanni, 1981;McNair & Brown, 1983). Another study found differences between White and Black youth on career maturity, but suggested that socioeconomic status may be an important factor in moderating career maturity (Watson & van Aarde, 1986).…”

Segregation, ethnic labour market and the occupational expectations of Palestinian students in Israel

“…The ethnic labour market can shelter the minority from economic discrimination (Lewin-Epstein and Semyonov 1994) since their segregation from the majority avoids the negative consequences of comparisons and helps in developing high expectations (Shavit 1990;Yogev and Ilan 1987). The data presented in this paper have shown that, unlike other minority students (Hanson 1994;McLeod 1987;McNair and Brown 1983;Mickelson 1990), Palestinian students in Israel develop very high occupational expectations despite their extreme disadvantages within the Israeli social structure. The question this raises is to what extent those expectations are a function of the presence of an ethnic local labour market and the residential/educational segregation of the minority?…”

Sex Differences in the Career Development of Urban African American Adolescents

“…Occupational expectations (i.e., real occupational choices) were investigated by having students respond to the following self-report item: &dquo;What occupation are you most likely to enter? That is, looking into the future from where you are now and what you are doing in school now, what occupation are you most likely to have after you finish your education?&dquo; A retest reliability coefficient of .81 has been reported for this question (McNair & Brown, 1983).…”