ERIC Number: EJ1323340
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1361-3324
EISSN: N/A
Freedom to Aspire: Black Children's Career Dreams, Perceived Aspirational Supports, and Africentric Values
Turner, Jennifer D.
Race, Ethnicity and Education, v25 n1 p128-153 2022
Black children today fight to define their own futurity beyond the myth of low aspirations -- a dominant societal ideology which limits Black success to careers in professional sports and entertainment and blames Black families and communities for devaluing education. Informed by career aspiration research and qualitative methodologies, this study illuminates the career dreams and aspirations of Black children ages 8 to 14 years old enrolled in a summer reading program. Analyses of drawings and interviews from 12 focal children demonstrate how Black youth: 1) articulated career aspirations through Africentric values related to Black self-determination, collective uplift and personal interests; and 2) perceived familial and community support for career aspirations as nurturing relationships, specialized career knowledge, and academic support. The article concludes with a discussion of community-based and education-oriented strategies that honor and expand the career aspirations of Black children.
Descriptors: African American Children, Occupational Aspiration, Afrocentrism, Values, Self Determination, Family Influence, Community Influence
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A