ERIC Number: EJ1394221
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-5698
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3400
Available Date: N/A
Occupational Reproduction and Mobility in STEM -- Parental Narratives of Their Child's Occupational Choice
Lissitsa, Sabina; Chachashvili-Bolotin, Svetlana
Educational Studies, v49 n5 p713-729 2023
Drawing on the narrative inquiry of 32 in-depth interviews with parents of sons who study in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in tertiary education, we described the multi-dimensional picture of intergenerational mobility and reproduction derived from the Big Class, Microclass, and Cultural Mobility Models. We explored the process of STEM career choice for students with parents in STEM vs. non-STEM-related occupations from different SES. All parents encouraged their children to acquire higher education and conveyed their career expectations for high-status careers by emphasizing the importance of education, while almost totally avoiding recommendations for pursuing "specific occupations." We found that parental professional status is less decisive in explaining their son's occupation than parental level of education. Parents with high SES with a STEM or non-STEM occupation encouraged Big Class "reproduction" for their sons, while working class parents desired Big Class "mobility."
Descriptors: Parents, Children, Sons, STEM Education, Parent Attitudes, Career Choice, College Students, Models, Parent Background, Employed Parents, Expectation, Employment Level, Educational Attainment, Socioeconomic Status, Working Class, Social Mobility, Parent Influence, Personal Narratives
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A