Sibling, family environment and ability correlates of adolescents' aspirations: ethnic group differences

Abstract

SummaryLongitudinal data were used to examine relationships between sibling variables and adolescents' aspirations at different social status, family environment and ability levels in a sample of 260 Anglo-Australian, 120 Greek, and 90 Southern Italian families. In this follow-up study of an earlier investigation each family had a 16-year-old child and the analyses related to those adolescents. The study suggests that there are different relationships between birth order and educational and occupational aspirations for adolescents from different ethnic groups, even after taking into account the effect on aspirations of measures of ability and family environment.