Effects of school, race, gender and socio-economic status on aspirations: a study of urban and rural youth in the midlands of KwaZulu- Natal.

Abstract

Leading researchers on aspirations of the youth have reported that differences in race, Socio­ economic status (SES) and gender may result in differences in aspirations. However, little knowledge is available about the effects of race, gender, and SES on the realistic or unrealistic nature of aspirations. Using Allport and Gillespie's (1955) "future autobiography" method, 267 matric students were asked to write essays about their future aspirations. They also completed a short demographic questionnaire. A content analysis method was employed.

The results showed that differences in school, race and SES had significant effects on aspirations. The results also showed that young people who were in low SES had lower realistic aspirations than those in the middle or upper SES. The students from schools with poor resources and learning facilities also had lower realistic aspirations than those students in those schools with adequate learning facilities. Black youth had more unrealistic aspirations than their Indian and white counterparts. Indian youth was also found to have more unrealistic aspirations than the white youth. However, the study did not find any significant effect of gender except in minor instances.

Differences in aspirations could be attributed to social, political and economic experiences that South African youth are exposed to. These experiences may produce attitudes and perceptions about themselves which in turn influence their future aspirations.