Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The shaping of students. educational aspirations in their school and neighbourhood context is a complex process of confluence, and largely depends on their context-specific perceptions and conceptualisation. From a sociological perspective, this study focuses on how high-school students at a working-class school in a working-class neighbourhood shape their educational aspirations amidst their particular community dynamics. The study uses the analytical lens of space in order to investigate the underlying relationship between youth development and the youth.s educational aspirations in their neighbourhood context. It emphasises students. life experiences in two spaces, namely their residential space (the neighbourhood) and their institutional space (the school). This is an important focus in order to explore the dynamic relationship between students. spatial living dynamics and how they navigate within these to shape their educational aspirations. The study focuses on how the students experience the neighbourhood and school in relation to their educational aspirations, and how these aspects manifest in the shaping of their aspirations. Also key to the study is the students. prior socialisation processes with regard to their educational aspirations. The study.s primary point of departure is that there is a unique relationship between these students. living contexts and how they construct and position their educational aspirations within these contexts. The study belongs within the qualitative interpretative paradigm, as I attempt to describe and understand how these students consciously draw from practices and interactions in their living contexts to shape their educational aspirations. Qualitative research instruments, such as field notes, participatory and non-participatory observations as well as formal and informal interviews, were used to answer the research question and achieve the research objectives of the thesis. The findings are presented in narrative format according to relevant themes, and are also analysed on a narrative basis. The research shows how the students . based on their own resources, networks and interactions as well as their own agency . position themselves in relation to their educational aspirations in order to shape their aspirations. In this way, the study reveals how the participating students dualistically draw from the practices of both their living spaces . school as well as neighbourhood . in order to give content to their educational aspirations; how they navigate the shaping of their educational aspirations .in parallel., as it were, in line with both the aforementioned living contexts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Studente se opvoedkundige-aspirasievorming in hul skool- en woonbuurtkonteks is 'n komplekse proses van samevloeiing, en hang grootliks van hul konteksspesifieke opvattings en konseptualisering af. Uit 'n sosiologiese perspektief konsentreer hierdie studie op hoe hoërskoolstudente by 'n werkersklasskool in 'n werkersklaswoonbuurt aan hul opvoedkundige aspirasies gestalte gee te midde van hul besondere gemeenskapsdinamiek. Die studie gebruik die analitiese lens van ruimte ten einde ondersoek in te stel na die onderliggende verwantskap tussen jeugwording en die jongmense se opvoedkundige aspirasies in hul woonbuurtkonteks. Die klem val op studente se lewenservarings in twee ruimtes, naamlik hul omgewingsruimte (die woonbuurt) en hul institusionele ruimte (die skool). Dit is 'n belangrike fokuspunt ten einde die dinamiese verwantskap te ondersoek tussen studente se ruimtelike leefdinamiek en hoe hulle daarin hul weg baan ten einde aan hul opvoedkundige aspirasies gestalte te gee. Die studie konsentreer op hoe die studente die woonbuurt en skool met betrekking tot hul opvoedkundige aspirasies beleef, en hoe hierdie aspekte in hul aspirasievormingsprosesse na vore kom. Nog 'n belangrike faktor in die studie is die studente se vorige sosialiseringsprosesse met betrekking tot hul opvoedkundige aspirasies. Die hoofuitgangspunt van die studie is dat daar 'n unieke verwantskap bestaan tussen hierdie studente se leefkontekste en hoe hulle hul opvoedkundige aspirasies daarin konstrueer en plaas. Die studie hoort tuis binne die kwalitatief-vertolkende paradigma, aangesien ek probeer beskryf en verstaan hoe hierdie studente op beredeneerde wyse uit praktyke en wisselwerkings in hul leefkontekste put om hul opvoedkundige aspirasies te vorm. Kwalitatiewe navorsingsinstrumente soos veldnotas, deelnemende en niedeelnemende waarnemings sowel as formele en informele onderhoude is gebruik om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord en die navorsingsdoelwitte van die tesis te bereik. Die bevindings word in 'n narratiewe vorm aan die hand van tersaaklike temas aangebied en ook op 'n narratiewe grondslag ontleed. Die navorsing toon hoe die studente hulle - op grond van hul eie bronne, netwerke en wisselwerking sowel as hul eie agentskap - in verhouding tot hul opvoedkundige aspirasies plaas ten einde daaraan gestalte te gee. Sodoende onthul die studie hoe die deelnemerstudente op dualistiese wyse uit die praktyke van albei hul leefruimtes - skool en woonbuurt - put om hul opvoedkundige aspirasies te vorm; hoe hulle hul opvoedkundige-aspirasievorming as't ware 'parallel' in pas met albei voormelde twee leefkontekste navigeer.