"What do you want to do when you grow up?" Occupational aspirations of Taiwanese preschool children

Abstract

Occupational aspirations have mainly been investigated with teenagers, high school students, and adults. Following Gottfredson's (1981Gottfredson's ( , 2002 theory of circumscription and compromise, in which it is proposed that occupational aspirations originate in the preschool years, in this study the occupational aspirations of 1,044 preschool children in Taiwan were explored. Children who attended 38 kindergartens and were between the ages of 5 and 6, expressed their preferences about and gender orientations towards occupations and careers. In general, the occupations Taiwanese children said they most desired to pursue were teaching, being police officers, and working as doctors. Most children can recognize the occupations of their parents at this stage, and the results in this research show that children still identify strongly with their parents' stereotypical occupations. More boys than girls showed a preference for masculine-dominated occupations. More girls than boys showed a preference for nontraditional occupations. Factors that influence occupational aspirations were found to be parental identification and identifying with the role of teachers.

Perceived influences on the career choices of children and youth: an exploratory study

“…The influence of parents and family and the support offered by them can be seen throughout the school-aged years and appears to peak around age 12 (Bardick & Bernes, 2005;Helwig, 2004;Kentli, 2014;Lee, 2012;McMahon, Carroll, & Gillies, 2001;McMahon & Patton, 1997;McMahon & Rixon, 2007;Seligman, Weinstock, & Heflin, 1991;Trice et al, 1995). Teachers are mentioned as early as kindergarten, while peers are identified beginning in the 2nd grade (McMahon & Patton, 1997) and remain salient through the middle and high school years (McMahon et al, 2001;McMahon & Patton, 1997;McMahon & Rixon, 2007).…”

Ready, Set, Jump - An Interactive eBook Designed to Awaken the Aspirations of Primary School Students

“…Aspirations are a hope or ambition of achieving something and are stimulated by exposing children to different environments or facilitating activities that enhance their cognitive development (Lee 2012). Devlin & McKay (2011) affirm that the aspirations of students from low socio-economic status (LSES) backgrounds are often lower than those of traditional students (Devlin and McKay 2011 p.3).…”

Career Intervention Considerations for Unwed Young Black Mothers in the United States

“…Gottfredson's (1981) theory of circumscription and compromise, also referred to as Gottfredson's career theory, attempts to describe how career choices develop in children and examines the development of individuals' view of the occupational choices available to them (see also Lee, 2012;Zunker, 2008). The DSM-IV includes the OCF to aid clinicians in applying the DSM-IV to clients in a multicultural setting (see American Psychiatric Association, 1994, pp.…”

“…Self-concept, as explained by Gottfredson, is influenced by socioeconomic background, values, place in society, and gender. This theory recognizes external barriers that limit a person's access to certain goal and career/vocational aspirations (Gottfredson, 1981;Lee, 2012;Zunker, 2008).…”

“…Social space involves creating a list of acceptable careers paths, and circumscription is the narrowing of these choices. Compromise is adjusting goals and aspirations to fit external circumstances, such as access to education and family responsibilities (Gottfredson, 1981;Lee, 2012;Zunker, 2008). Ivers, Milsom, and Newsome (2012) explained the importance of using Gottfredson's (1981) model as a way to help Latino students attain school success.…”