Thesis advisor: James R. Mahalilk / The disparities that are prevalent in urban environments have a profound impact on the educational and career trajectories of urban minority youth. In the interest of promoting the success among urban minority youth, it is critical to understand the influence of contextual factors on career development. Urban students of color observe and experience disparities based on gender, race, ethnicity, and parental education (Chang, Chen, Greenberger, Dooley, and Heckhausen, 2006; Fassinger, 2008). A major theoretical framework that has been used to address contextual factors in career development is Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT); (Lent, Brown, and Hackett, 1994). The current study examines the socio-contextual variables of gender, race, ethnicity, and parental education (and their interactions) in predicting adolescents' perceptions of barriers to academic and career goals, expectations of reaching goals, and engagement in career planning activities. Archival data was used from a larger longitudinal study that was conducted during the implementation of a vocational program [called Tools for Tomorrow] that was offered at two public high schools in a Northeastern city for three years (Kenny, Blustein, Haase, Jackson, and Perry, 2006). There were 208 participants with a mean age of 14 (57% females and 43% males). Hierarchal multiple regressions revealed that boys, Latino/a students, and low levels of parental education were significantly associated with lower expectations about reaching goals. An exploratory analysis was conducted with three specific ethnic groups: African American, Caribbean, and Latino/a students. Among the findings, African American girls were more likely to engage in career planning activities. This study is among the few that explore the career development of Caribbean adolescents and differentiates the experiences of students of color in career related cognitions and behavior. Limitations for this study and implications for future research, education, and vocational interventions are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_102020 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Catraio, Christine |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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