Analysing Factors Influencing Career Prospects Among Underprivileged Students – A Case Study

Abstract

Poverty and its reduction have been on the agenda of many developing countries and now more than ever education is seen as a catalyst of upward social mobility. Thus understanding the circumstances and views of underprivileged students and their families is very advantageous in policy decisions as well as local support. The aim of  this study was to gauge the perceptions of underprivileged youth, residing in a low-income neighbourhood in Bhilai, regarding their career choices and educational opportunities. Surveys were carried out over 2 weeks and interviews with 23 respondents and their families were conducted. The results were analysed using a quantitative and contemporary ethnographic approach.

The findings show that the most important factor influencing career choices among underprivileged youth is their Parental Support. Findings also show that the perception of ‘stability’ in jobs from generation to generation is different, where the parents of the students preferred government jobs as stable, whereas the students believed that jobs in the private sector offered more stability.