Toward a Theory of Latino Male Occupational Identity Development: The Role of School Experiences

Abstract

ABSTRACT Young Latino males fare poorly in various measures of occupational outcomes compared to their peers. Identity development theory proposes that occupational outcomes are extensions of identity, and that school is a special context for the development of work skills, principles, and diligence. Given that Latino males have some of the worst educational outcomes of any US demographic group, understanding how school experiences shape their occupational identity development is critical to understanding their occupational outcomes. The study utilized a qualitative design to retrospectively explore the occupational identity development experiences in school of 20 young adult Latino males. Interviews were conducted using semistructured interviewing techniques. The study followed a constructivist grounded theory approach to generate a theory of how school experiences help shape occupational identity that also explains the divergence along working-class and white-collar occupational outcomes. Sixteen codes emerged from the data that, together, posit that the extent to which the participants felt academically adequate in school determined whether they accepted or rejected the school context in their occupational identity development, which in turn shaped their commitment to attending college after high school. The emergent theory is discussed to propose a more well-rounded theory into the occupational identity development of Latino males.