Parental influence on adolescents in career choice

Abstract

The major social changes which have occurred in society have had a direct effect on the family and on young people in particular. These social changes are presenting adolescents with a wide range of career choices and young people are no longer constrained to follow their parents' footsteps. The choices they make for their future depend, to an extent on what they believe about themselves and on the role models that they are exposed to in their social context. This developmental task is directly related to the relationship and attachment children have with their parents and this relationship is important for their development as are the strategies and parenting techniques parents use in the upbringing of their children. The aim of this paper is to assess the extent of the parents' influence on their adolescents' choice of career and to evaluate how this fits in with the kind of relationship the youngsters have with their parents. This will be inferred through the parents' style of parenting and communication. The study was carried out through a quantitative research method on adolescents attending youth centres and schools around Malta. The study will be linked to the role, the youth worker can play to assist adolescents and complement the role of parents in this developmental stage.