All I Have to Do Is Dream? The Role of Aspirations in Intergenerational Mobility and Well-Being

Warn Nuarpear Lekfuangfu () and Reto Odermatt

No 142, PIER Discussion Papers from Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research

Abstract: We study the determinants and consequences of educational and occupational aspirations. Basing our enquiry on the British NCDS 1958 cohort data, we assess the importance of aspirations for social mobility above and beyond other established determinants. We document educational and occupational inequalities in young individuals' aspirations, whereby parental aspirations are a strong predictor of children's aspiration-levels. While we find a positive correlation between aspirations and later achievement, we also provide evidence for reduced well-being in adulthood if aspirations in adolescence were higher than actual achievements later in life.

Keywords: Aspirations; Intergenerational Mobility; Life Satisfaction; Longitudinal Study; CAMSIS Score; UK (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 J62 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2020-07
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Related works:
Journal Article: All I have to do is dream? The role of aspirations in intergenerational mobility and well-being (2022)
Working Paper: All I have to do is dream? The role of aspirations in intergenerational mobility and well-being (2020)
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