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Sociopolitical Development and Vocational Expectations Among Lower Socioeconomic Status Adolescents of Color
Author(s) -
Diemer Matthew A.,
Hsieh ChuehAn
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the career development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.846
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 2161-0045
pISSN - 0889-4019
DOI - 10.1002/j.2161-0045.2008.tb00040.x
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , vocational education , psychosocial , psychological intervention , racism , psychology , women of color , population , developmental psychology , social psychology , sociology , gender studies , demography , pedagogy , race (biology) , psychiatry
The well‐documented aspiration‐expectation gap refers to lower socioeconomic status (SES) adolescents of color expecting to attain occupations with lower pay and status than the occupations to which they aspire. Sociopolitical inequity, such as structural racism and asymmetrical access to resources, may explain this gap. This article examines the capacity to cope with sociopolitical inequity (i.e., sociopolitical development) and its relationship to vocational expectations among this population. Analyses revealed that sociopolitical development was associated with higher vocational expectations and may contribute to reducing the vocational aspiration‐expectation gap among lower SES adolescents of color. Furthermore, career counseling, guidance, and psychosocial interventions may be augmented by incorporating sociopolitical development.