Pathways to Occupational Attainment Among Poor Youth of Color

Abstract

The formation of future occupational expectations is a critical career-development task for adolescents that has a significant impact on adult occupational attainment. However, sociopolitical barriers constrain the occupational expectations and attainment of poor youth of color. Extant research has suggested that sociopolitical development, the consciousness of and motivation to transform sociopolitical inequity, facilitates the negotiation of sociopolitical barriers that constrain career development. However, the longitudinal effect of sociopolitical development on occupational attainment is unclear. This study examines the longitudinal impact of sociopolitical development on adult occupational attainment while controlling for academic performance. The obtained structural model suggests that sociopolitical development influenced occupational expectations in 12th grade and had a longitudinal impact on adult occupational attainment among a nationally representative sample of poor youth of color. This model also fits subsamples of female and male participants, although sociopolitical development had stronger effects for young women. Sociopolitical development may inform and augment career interventions for poor youth of color.