Young People Base Educational Path on Parent's Background

You know the saying the apple never falls far from the tree? Well, this can certainly be applied to a lot of things: Genetics, intelligence quotient, fashion sense, whatever. You name it. In any case, a new study shows that the same is true for education.

If grandma and grandpa went to a little three-room school house back in the day, their kids aren't likely to stray from the path of their forefathers by fleeing the area to a more ritzy facility.

According to researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Aalborg University, students that choose to study medicine, architecture, economy and sociology often come from homes where their parents have completed higher education. Yet those studying business and pharmacy appeal more to those coming from a working class background.

"There is a connection between the studies chosen by young Danes and their social background. Even for the young people who have very good grades in their A-level exams, and who could successfully seek admission to a large variety of studies, the parents' level of education and social class play an important role in their choice," Education Sociologist Jens Peter Thomsen said, via a press release, who is one of the researchers behind the study.

The study is based on 60 interviews with Danish students from six different university level study programs, including the following: Medicine, architecture, sociology, economy, pharmacy and business studies.

The findings suggest that those who grew up in a home with parents who were doctors or architects had a stronger personal identity and chose to follow in the footsteps of their parents.

"For young people whose parents are university educated, factors such as prestige and a strong sense of professional identity are important. They are attracted by an educational culture in which you are a student 24/7, and where leisure activities are tied to the identity that lies within your studies. These young people have also grown up with topical discussions around the dinner table which also prepares them for their lives as students," said Thomsen, via the release.

Yet researchers note that when young people from working class backgrounds with good grades chose other paths than prestigious studies, it was in order to find a more clearly defined job.

"The young people who are first-generation university students often choose studies that are more '9 to 5' and less tied up to a sense of identity. They have lower academic expectations of themselves, and they choose studies with a clearly defined goal for their professional lives," in sectors where jobs are easily found.

Lastly, the study showed that social background does not erase financial freedom.

"In the US and in many other European countries you will find the same patterns in young people's choice of studies as in Denmark. Although the Danish welfare system creates more equality," Thomsen said.

He adds that, "The fact that social background plays such an important role, challenges our view that everyone has equal opportunities. We will end up with a very narrow view of society if positions of power and prestige are solely reserved for children of parents with a university degree."

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Comparative Education Review.