Abstract
Economic, occupational, and social shifts in rural economies have influenced nuanced changes in the educational and occupational aspirations of rural adolescent women and men. However, there is limited contemporary research that examines the aspirations of rural adolescents at the beginning of the 21st century. Drawing on a sample of 8,756 rural adolescents in the United States, we examine how familial, geographic, and economic variables influence gender-related differences in educational and occupational aspirations. Findings revealed significant gender differences, favoring girls, in youth's educational aspirations, occupational aspirations, and aspirations for nontraditional careers. Results highlight the importance of contextual variables such as parental expectations, family income, and motivation variables in predicting gender-related aspirations of rural youth.
Highlights
Over the last several decades, rural communities have experienced distinct social, structural, and economic shifts due, in part, to technological advances and economic globalization (Brown & Schafft, 2011; Farmer et al, 2006; US Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2013)
Results of Study 1 and Study 2 are presented separately; we first examine gender differences in educational aspirations and we present findings from examining gender differences in aspirations for nontraditional careers
Consistent with recent research on rural youth, the results indicated that rural girls reported higher educational aspirations than their male counterparts
Summary
Along with economic and structural changes, shifts in social norms and beliefs about women’s roles in the workplace have occurred. These changes have differentially influenced rural men and women, as many rural youth have shifted their educational and occupational aspirations to align with more contemporary economic, social, and occupational conditions. Recent evidence indicates that the majority of rural youth (more than ever before) aspire to obtain a postsecondary degree (Byun, Irvin, & Meece, 2012; Meece et al, 2013). There is little information on how recent social and economic changes have shaped rural students’ educational and occupational aspirations in the context of 21st century advances
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
