INFLUENCE OF PEER GROUP AND PARENTAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND ON UNDERGRADUATES CAREER CHOICE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

School is a period when a young person's mind is most open to influence, ideas, and ideals that change the way a person thinks, behaves, and perceives things (Oyebode, 2010). This is a critical juncture that will influence one's personal decision-making processes and career choices. As a result, parents are always expected to have a big part in moulding and influencing how their school-age children make good career selections, which ultimately influence their future job choice. From another angle, parents are regarded as influential, which implies that they have the potential to impact their children's future. Because kids are usually impressionable, their selections may be heavily impacted by their parents, but the effect of friends on their profession choice should not be overlooked (Oto, 2014).

A person's career may be described as the progression and activities they do throughout their lives, particularly those linked to their employment. Rather than referring to one's position, a career is generally made up of jobs held, titles acquired, and work completed over a lengthy period of time (Knowles, 2014). (Fayomi, 2012) defines a career as an employment or profession, particularly one that requires specific training, that is pursued as one's lifework. It also describes career as a person's progression or general path of activity during a stage of life, such as in a profession or endeavor (Head, 2015).

Choosing a job is a life-changing choice that affects an individual's whole destiny. The level to which potential jobs are investigated and examined is referred to as career exploration. According to Breakwell G. and Beardsell (2013) research, considering job possibilities before committing to a career boosts future career success and happiness. However, an individual's career choice is influenced by a variety of factors, the most important of which are parental and social influence. Many variables impact each person who goes through the process, including where they reside, their friends and peer group, and their parents' socioeconomic background and status (Calkins, 2013).

According to Salami (2006), many Nigerian teenagers make poor career choices owing to ignorance, inexperience, peer pressure, or the reputation associated with specific occupations in the absence of proper vocational assistance and career counseling. Peers from the parents take over the socialization process at school, with the selection and adoption of lifestyle, appearance, social activities, and academics (Sebald, 1992). Similarly, Han and Li (2009) and Zimmerman (2003) discovered that potential friends and peers may be sources of favorable attitudes about education, job hunting, and even joining a social or political group. Some friendships might also have a detrimental impact. A child's existence is greatly influenced by his or her parents' socioeconomic standing. The status paves the path for his advancement. Individuals' intelligence, attitudes, aptitudes, and even hobbies are shaped by their socioeconomic background. Socioeconomic status refers to an individual's and family's standing in relation to prevailing average standards, cultural possession, and engagement in community group activities. It is also stated that socioeconomic status covers both the individual's social and economic standing within the group. Variations in accomplishment are also caused by changes in the children's socioeconomic situation, unequal treatment provided by parents, parental educational level, and the effect of the environment, among other factors (Fishbein and Ajzen, 2015).

According to Awolowo (2012), children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are not only brighter, but they are also given more opportunity to develop academically, physically, and emotionally, which influences their job choices. The contact between parents and their children is frequently the foundation of their professional decision. According to Williams (2016), if a parent's profession provides them with a high level of happiness or a comfortable lifestyle, their children may notice the benefits early on and may prefer these jobs over others. On the contrary, children are more likely to pursue more meaningful or higher paying employment if their parents grumble about their job or struggle to sustain the family on the income provided by their job. Peers are also viewed as a powerful component that may affect students' career choices.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Despite the country's enormous people and natural resources, the unemployment rate in Nigeria has continued to rise. Bizzarely , tThousands of Nigerian graduates are thrown out of higher education institutions each year because there are no jobs available for them. The enormous number of jobless youngsters has the potential to undermine the democratic process by posing a severe danger to the country's peace and security if engaged in criminal actions by the political elite. This unemployment problem might be traced back to poor career choices. Many of them chose job choices in school based on peer pressure, parental demands, and bad advice, ignoring their inherent abilities and talents. In contrast, Akpan (2015) believes that the career choices chosen by university undergraduates are heavily impacted by the experiences the person has had since infancy, the sort of information made accessible to him as he grows, and the way parents steer their children's vocational choices. The options and facilities made accessible to the child, and hence his choice of vocation, can be either assisted or restricted by the experiences made available to him by his parents.  In view of this, there is therefore the need to study the influence of parents and peer pressure on the choice of career among secondary school students.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 The objectives of the study is to appraise  the influence of parents and peer pressure on the choice of career among secondary school students. Specific objectives of the study are to:

i.          Determine if a student's profession choice is influenced by his or her parents' level of education.

ii.        Determine if a student's career choice is influenced by his or her parents' level of education.

iii.      Determine if a student's profession choice is influenced by his or her peer’s perception

iv.      Explored the relative effect of  peer and parental career choice influence  on the undergraduate professional life.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

The following research questions are answered in this study:

v.        Does er parents' level of income influence student's career choice is influenced ?

vi.      Does  parents' level of education influence student's career choice?

vii.    Does peer’s perception influences student's career choice selection?

viii.  What is the relative effect of  peer and parental career choice influence  on the undergraduate professional life?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study seeks to assist the educators and educational institutions to have a better understanding of their students on the impact of influences from parents and peers in making career choice. It is also hoped that findings from the study will help the institutions and related bodies to develop a better plan that can guide and expose undergraduates to understand their profession clearly. The study will also educate parents on their role in guiding their children and wards in choosing a career for themselves. The study will also serve as a theoretical basis for future researcher that will be carrying out research around the research domain. Lastly, the study is a requirement for the award of degree in this great institution of higher learning (University of Lagos).

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study borders on the influence of parents and peer pressure on the choice of career among secondary school students.  The study is however delimited to Igbinedion University, Okada, headquarters of Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo state.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering Igbinedion University, Okada, headquarters of Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo state. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for secondary schools in other  States within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research,  all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

It is pragmatically essential to exegesis on the various operational definitions of major concepts of this topic. Below are some of such important terms:

Career:  This refers to what one does for a living, that is source of livelihood, occupation or profession.

Career Choice: Career choice is the occupation or professional path that an individual chooses.

Peers: Peers are one’s age mates, class mates or friends.

Peer Group: This refers to the age group to which a student or an individual belong

Parent: Father and mother of the individual student.

Socio-Economic Background: This refers to the social and economic class or level to which a family belongs in the society. In any society, this could be high, middle class or lower class.

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