How the educational experiences of mothers affect their daughter's educational experiences and career aspirations

摘要

This study explores the influence that a mother has upon her daughter’s educational decision-making processes that occur between the age of 14 and the age upon leaving education and, also, her educational and career aspirations. It focuses on subject choice at GCSE, decisions to progress to further/higher education, when to leave education, choice of future career and the mother-daughter relationship. The research findings were based on qualitative research carried out in the form of semistructured, tape-recorded, interviews with 60 mother-daughter pairings (daughters being aged 14-23). The findings show that mothers have contributed to a change in the educational aspirations and achievements of their daughters. Mothers emphasise the acquisition of skills, academic qualifications and they believe in the value of education. Their aspirations for their daughters are passed on via the mother-daughter relationship and resulting messages have a very strong influence upon the daughters with regard to education and, also, help to shape the daughters’ educational experiences and career aspirations. Daughters acknowledge the importance of education and qualifications and know that they are essential for success in the labour market. They desire careers and are happy to embark upon several years of study to acquire relevant qualifications to be able to enter their desired occupation. However, although daughters desire rewarding and well-paid careers they are prepared to shelve these careers, for at least a minimum of five years, in order to perform childcare duties and responsibilities at home. Although they hear their mothers’ messages about the value of education and the benefits it entails and thus make declarations about careers, daughters’ long-term intentions are to revert to the same lifestyle that their mothers had in order to remain at home with young children. Gender continues to influence girls’ behaviour and it is this that appears to have the greatest impact on a daughter’s long-term career aspirations