Testing an ecological model of career aspirations: The role of community, family, and individual human capital variables among pre- and mid -adolescent children of public assistance recipients

Because of the long term economic importance of career decisions made during childhood and adolescence, this study examined community, mother, and child human capital predictors of the socioeconomic status (SES) of the jobs desired and expected by 9–13 year old children (N = 159) whose mothers were receiving public assistance. Human capital was measured as the quality of jobs held by mothers and members of their communities and was also measured by the educational attainments of the children, mothers, and community members. For mothers and children, psychological self-competence was also included as a measure of human capital. Using the ecological framework it was hypothesized that the capital would flow from the community to the mother and then to the child. A path model was used to test this model which was modified based on model-fitting exercises. Overall, the predicted ecological model was supported in the final model. Community educational attainment predicted mother's educational attainment, which in turn predicted academic achievement and self-competence of children. Children's grades and the SES of mother's jobs predicted children's desired and expected jobs and were the strongest influences of children's career aspirations.;Demographic comparisons of job desires and expectations revealed no age differences. However, females had higher desired and expected careers than males, and children of White mothers had higher career expectations than children of Black mothers. The SES of children's desired and expected careers were similar to each other and remained stable from the first interview to the follow-up interview one year later. However, the SES of children's career aspirations were nearly twice that of their mothers or their communities, unlike other studies of nonimpoverished children whose career aspirations were similar to their parents. This suggests that children living in poverty may be less likely to realize their aspirations that other children. Although this model does not explain how much socialization or accesses to opportunities explain the impact of community, mother, and child capital on children's career decisions, it does indicate that each is important in the broad picture of children's career aspirations. Results suggest that an ecological approach is needed to improve the career outcomes for children living in poverty.