Abstract

Aspirations research has pursued four lines of inquiry, all grounded in Lewin's field theory. This locates aspirations studies within that class of theories which presuppose that individuals make efficient choices to maximize their satisfactions and minimize their dissatisfactions. While prior research has focused upon the goals which are the objects of aspirations, the present paper argues that shifting the focus to what people invest in their aspirations suggests fruitful, new lines of inquiry. An operational definition of an aspiration as any future goal in which an individual is willing to invest time, effort or money is proposed. This directs attention to the dynamic processes by which individuals assess opportunities, constraints and risks and choose goals and strategies for attaining the goals. This retains the field theoretical perspective which has guided previous research. At the same time, it suggests new ways of quantifying aspiration levels and establishes a metric which permits the comparison of previously incommensurable aspirations. Since it is not the writer's intent to advance a theory of aspirations, but rather to develop a conceptual framework applicable across different disciplines and different theoretical perspectives, the present paper makes no attempt to develop a theory of aspirations nor to propose hypotheses for testing.

How to Cite:

Sherwood, R. A., (1905) “A Conceptual Framework for the Study of Aspirations”, Journal of Research in Rural Education 6(2), 39–49.

Rights: Copyright