Occupation choice: Family, Social and Market influences
Ezequiel Tacsir
#2010-013
The advance of knowledge-based societies has modified the labor mar-
kets and qualification requirements. In this sense, and considering that
individual choices about careers and occupations have pervasive social
effects, there is a growing interest from both academics and policy
makers in understanding and in
uencing the process of education choice.
Specifically, there is a worldwide renewed concern on achieving higher
levels of graduation from scientific and technological disciplines.
Available evidence shows that mobilizing individual wills towards these
highly priority careers is not an easy nor mechanical task. Thus, it is
necessary to expand the standard view about the process of occupation
choice by adding non pecuniary factors, in
uence of social networks and
the role of information and guidance policies. With these objectives in
mind, and after review- ing the theoretical literature about occupation
choice in economics, the present paper analyzes the effects that diverse
personal, family, social and economic aspects have in the selection of
an university career. Based on the empirical ndings, some policy
recommendations are put forward.
JEL codes: J44, J48, J24, I21.
Keywords: Occupational Choice, Professions, Public Policy.
UNU-MERIT Working Papers
ISSN 1871-9872