Influence of Parental Encouragement on the Educational and Career Choices of Their Children

Traditional gender stereotypes often affect educational and career choices. Instead of getting higher education and building a career, girls are supposed to marry young and give birth to many children. Similarly, boys are expected to focus on earning. Parental encouragement influences the choices of their children too. Therefore, this basic qualitative cross-sectional case study is conducted within a conflict theoretical framework to highlight the experiences of university students about the influence of parental encouragement on their educational and career choices. The convenient sampling method was used to select respondents with a sample size of twenty students from a university. A semi-structured interview guide was used as a data collection tool. In-depth interviews were conducted for data collection. In this study, the universe is Karachi. Data was analyzed through the thematic analysis method. It is concluded that parents are influencing their children's educational and career choices. Many parents pressurize their children to pursue those careers that are stable and secure in parents' eyes. Even if these careers are not aligned with their children's interests or talents. This can lead to children being unhappy and unfulfilled in their work. However, there are some generational differences in how parents approach traditional gender. Younger parents are more likely to be open to breaking established gender roles. Parents should provide emotional support and encouragement. Parents should let children explore their interests and talents without limits. Stakeholders should establish dedicated career counselling centers in schools. Revise the curriculum to include career guidance. Involve parents in the career counselling process. Further research is recommended to explore the cultural variances in these dynamics.