The major purpose of this paper is to provide information about occupational status orientations of Negro youth through analysis of data obtained from a recent study of high school sophomores residing in Texas. The specific objective of the research was to explore rural and urban differences among Negro boys on the following aspects of occupational orientations: goals and expectations, anticipatory deflection from goals, and the association of intensity of aspiration with anticipatory deflection. It was found that Negro boys in urban areas have higher occupational goals and expectations than their rural counterparts; however, differences are greater in reference to goals than for expectations. On the whole, rural and urban respondents were found to experience very similar rates of anticipatory deflection from occupational goals, but, in the case of high aspirants, differences were observed in reference to the nature of anticipatory deflection experienced. Urban Negroes were found to have stronger desires for their occupational goals than their rural counterparts. No meaningful association was found to exist between intensity of aspiration and anticipatory deflection from occupational goals for either grouping. Theoretical and practical implications were drawn and suggestions offered for future research in this problem area. (Author/JM)