English secondary school students’ views of socioeconomic inequality and their sense of agency about their occupational aspirations: an exploratory study of the impact of socioeconomic status

Despite the increasing attention paid to young people’s experiences of inequality, there is little research on whether and how their own views concerning its causes shape their choices and actions and, consequently, their future socioeconomic status. Using data from 77 online questionnaires and 62 online interviews with English secondary school students, this paper discusses the results of a study concerned with the relationships between students’ views of the causes of wealth and poverty, their socioeconomic backgrounds, and their sense of agency as embodied in their occupational aspirations and confidence in their ability to achieve them. The study found that most participants saw inequality as arising from more than one type of cause, with only a minority focusing on structural causes alone. Furthermore, an association between their views of the causes of inequality and their sense of agency was not found. Instead, and regardless of their views about the causes of inequality, the results suggested that participants from less advantaged backgrounds held a lower sense of agency about their futures than those from more affluent households. Further research therefore appears necessary into how young people from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds can construct and maintain the agency required for seeking upward mobility.