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School districting tends to segregate youths of different social strata. Consequently school populations have modally different values and aspirations. The hypothesis that the values of the bulk of the students in a high school provide a significant normative reference influencing the values of individuals within the school is investigated by comparing the educational aspirations of boys who attend schools characterized by different climates of aspiration. Differences in the contextual variable-attributes of the membership group-are shown to affect aspirations when relevant personal variables-attributes of reference persons-are controlled. The ethos of the school seems also to affect academic achievement, occupational aspirations, and political preferences.
Alan B. Wilson (Tue,) studied this question.