Educational and occupational aspirations of young people: influences and outcomes

Background

Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), Next Steps, and the National Child Development Study (NCDS), this project investigated the role of aspirations on social reproduction and social mobility across the divides of gender, ethnicity, disability and social class. The project was part of the Cross Cohort Research Programme.

Research details

Project title

Educational and occupational aspirations of young people: influences and outcomes

Project leads

Lucinda Platt

Sam Parsons

Themes

Education

Occupational expectations

Life course transitions

Social and economic wellbeing

Social mobility

Dates

1 January 2017 – December 2018

Funder

ESRC

Summary

This project investigated the role of aspirations on social reproduction and social mobility across the divides of gender, ethnicity, and disability. This project used data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), Next Steps (previously known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England, LSYPE), and the National Child Development Study (NCDS). As well as addressing questions on gendered choices in relation to education and occupation, the project looked across cleavages by ethnicity and disability. The project described the patterning and development of trajectories of aspirations and attainment across, childhood and youth and into adulthood. The project also explored social experiences and life course transitions.

Outputs

Briefings & Impact

Occupational aspirations of children from primary school to teenage years across ethnic groups

Author: Lucinda Platt, LSE and Samantha Parsons, CLS

This briefing, based on data from Next Steps and the Millennium Cohort Study, explores how occupational aspirations of girls and boys differ across ethnic groups, and the extent to which these aspirations feed through into subsequent occupational outcomes.

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Publication

SEN, school life and future aspirations

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Publication

MCS Age 14 initial findings - The university and occupational aspirations of UK teenagers

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Featured scientific publications

Platt L, and Parsons S. (2017)
Is the future female? Educational and occupational aspirations of teenage boys and girls in the UK
CLS working paper 2017/7. London: Centre for Longitudinal Studies
Read the full paper

Researchers

Sam Parsons Principal Research Fellow

Phone: 020 7612 6882
Email: sam.parsons@ucl.ac.uk

Sam has a long history of producing research based on the British Birth Cohorts, from the antecedents and consequences of poor basic skills in adult life, to more recent research focusing on poorer outcomes for children with Special Education Needs, the gendered occupational occupations of teenagers and the long-term advantages for men and women who attended a private school and/or an elite university.

Lucinda Platt London School of Economics

View Lucinda’s biography on the London School of Economics website here.

Relevant studies

Contact us

Centre for Longitudinal Studies
UCL Social Research Institute

20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL

Email: clsdata@ucl.ac.uk

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