Educational Aspirations
Table B. i shows responses to the question of how much education parents want their children to obtain (an issue discussed in chapter 2). The “college plus” category indicates that the respondent suggested that it might well be desirable to have education that extends beyond a bachelor’s degree; the “more than college” category indicates parents who named a professional degree or who were relatively insistent that their children continue their education beyond college. Because this table builds on qualitative responses, these categories are illustrative rather than definitive. I divide the working class from the middle class here to show how aspirations for children increase with the parents’ own level of education.
TABLE B. I
Parents’ Expectations Concerning the Future Education of Their Children
Parents’ Own Level of Education
|
Associate’s degree |
0% |
5% |
0% |
|
College |
40% |
15% |
0% |
|
College plus |
35% |
70% |
55% |
|
More than college |
25% |
10% |
45% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
100% |
|
(N) |
(24) |
(30) |
(35) |
|
How Much Education They Want for Their Own Children |
|
Less than College (Working Class) |
|
College (Middle Class) |
|
Graduate Degree (Professional Middle Class) |