Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/218969 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Citation: 
[Journal:] Research in Social Stratification and Mobility [ISSN:] 1878-5654 [Volume:] 46 [Publisher:] Elsevier [Place:] Amsterdam [Year:] 2016 [Pages:] 112-128
Publisher: 
Elsevier, Amsterdam
Abstract: 
This article examines under which conditions high school students’ college aspirations (unconstrained wishes) translate into (constrained) college intentions. Drawing on the Wisconsin model of status attainment and sociological rational choice theory, it is argued that—while educational aspirations are mainly the result of socialization processes within families and schools—educational intentions are constrained by institutional opportunities and barriers emerging from the higher education system, which might influence students from different social backgrounds in different ways. The focus lies on four institutional characteristics of German higher education institutions—namely geographical distance, reputation, selection procedures and the information provided by colleges. Methodologically, I draw on a factorial survey on application intentions for college programs that is integrated in a survey of Berlin high school students who indicated an aspiration to attend college one year before graduating. The findings suggest that distance from home is an especially strong constraint on college application intentions. The effects of the institutional dimensions, however, rarely differ for students from different social backgrounds. Nevertheless, social background differences can be observed regarding the overall strength of application intentions indicating that socially advantaged students feel generally less constrained by the institutional characteristics presented to them. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Subjects: 
social inequality
college aspiration
higher education
institutional constraints
Germany
vignette study
Published Version’s DOI: 
Creative Commons License: 
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Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Accepted Manuscript (Postprint)

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