New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies Vol. 9

Educational aspirations shape how adolescents imagine their educational, occupational, and social futures, yet their significance depends on the conditions that allow aspirations to be converted into attainment. This chapter examines the relationship between educational aspirations and social mobility among adolescents from marginalised communities from a socio-educational perspective, with particular attention to India. It distinguishes aspirations from expectations and treats aspirations as dynamic, socially situated orientations rather than fixed individual ambitions. The discussion considers how caste, class, gender, family resources, geographical location, and institutional conditions influence both the formation and realisation of educational aspirations. Human capital, cultural capital, and social reproduction perspectives are used to explain the dual role of education as a potential route to upward mobility and as a setting in which existing inequalities may persist. Particular attention is given to the aspiration–achievement gap, highlighting that strong aspirations do not necessarily lead to educational attainment when financial, informational, institutional, or social constraints limit available pathways. Evidence from the Indian context indicates that marginalised adolescents may view education as a means of improving occupational prospects, economic independence, and social position. The chapter concludes that educational equity requires not only high aspirations but also credible, accessible, and institutionally supported pathways through which aspirations can become educational attainment and meaningful opportunities for social mobility.