Status projections and ethnicity: A comparison of Mexican American, Negro, and Anglo youth

Abstract

The general purpose of this paper was to determine to what extent ethnic group differences exist in adolescents' projected frames of status reference. Utilizing data obtained from Negro, Mexican American, and Anglo youth residing in nonmetropolitan areas of Texas, ethnic comparisons were made by sex on several dimensions of occupational and educational status projections: levels of aspiration and expectation, anticipatory goal deflection, intensity of aspiration, and certainty of expectation. The findings indicated that the three ethnic groups were generally similar, except in reference to status expectations and intensity of aspiration: Negro youth maintained higher level expectations and Mexican American youth maintained stronger intensity of aspiration. Several other consistent but less substantial patterns of ethnic variability were noted: Mexican American youth felt least certain of attaining their expectations, Negro youth held higher educational goals, and Anglo youth experienced the least anticipatory deflection. Implications were drawn for theory and future research.