The Influence of Family Background

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Family Role in Career Development

Family influence is an important force in preparing youth for their roles as workers. Young people form many of their attitudes about work and careers as a result of interactions with the family. Family background provides the basis from which their career planning and decision making evolve. However, within each family, the level of involvement can vary, offering both positive and negative influences. This Digest examines the research on family influences on career development and describes implications for practice.

The Influence of Family Background

"Family background factors found to be associated with career development include parents' socioeconomic status (SES), their educational level, and biogenetic factors such as physical size, gender, ability, and temperament" (Penick and Jepsen 1992, p. 208). In a study of the influences on adolescents' vocational development reported by Mortimer et al. (1992), the variable that had the most effect on educational plans and occupational aspirations was parental education.

Mortimer et al. also report that parents with postsecondary education tend to pass along its importance to their children-a finding supported by other studies. Montgomery (1992) notes that females talented in math viewed their career choices as reflective of interests that stemmed from early family influence and educational opportunities. Marso and Pigge (1994) found that the presence of teachers in the family was a significant factor influencing teacher candidates' decisions to teach. DeRidder (1990), however, points out that lower levels of parent education can retard adolescents' career development. "Being born to parents with limited education and income reduces the ...

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...Journal of Career Development 19, no. 3 (Spring 1993): 161-173.

Montgomery, J. "Factors that Influence the Career Aspirations of Mathematically Precocious Females." Paper presented at the Asian Conference on Giftedness: Growing Up Gifted and Talented, Taipei, Taiwan, July 1992. (ED 352 267)

Mortimer, J. et al. Influences on Adolescents' Vocational Development. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1992. (ED 352 555)

Penick, N., and Jepsen, D. "Family Functioning and Adolescent Career Development." Career Development Quarterly40, no. 4 (March 1992): 208-222.

Developed with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RR93002001. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the Department. Digestsmay be freely reproduced.

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