Discrepancy in Socioeconomic Level of Aspiration and Perception of Illegitimate Expediency

This paper provides a more rigorous and definitive test of the relationship of aspiration level and the perception of illegitimate opportunity than has yet been provided. It takes account of two kinds of distinctions: first, the multidimensionality of aspiration level and second, the difference between level of wish (ideal aspiration) and level of expectation (realistic aspiration). The latter distinction is a familiar one in the research literature. The former distinction refers to the fact that socioeconomic level of aspiration has different attributes-for example, improvement in material possessions, high educational attainment, or higher occupational achievement. This distinction has not been adequately recognized in the research literature on adolescent aspirations. When family status, sex, and school status are alternatively controlled, the original association between SELA (socioeconomic level of aspiration) discrepancy and perception of illegitimate expediency strongly persists. This suggests that adolescents living in a mobile society might become prone to deviate from legitimate norms in attaining cultural goals not only because their family status is relatively low but because they have a severe amount of SELA discrepancy.