Article 2025

Hoped-For Selves: Using Possible Selves to Explore the Career and College-Going Aspirations for Gang-Involved Latino Boys

HA
Huerta, Adrián H.
Review of Higher Education
Journal · Vol. 48 · Issue 3 · pp. 477-511
Abstract

Gang-involved children dream of becoming respected members of society through professional careers, educational degrees or credentials, and socioeconomic mobility. This qualitative study used hoped-for selves as the theoretical grounding for exploring the career and college-going aspirations of 28 middle-and high-school gang-involved Latino boys attending three urban alternative schools. Findings centered on the career and college-going aspirations of the two—and four-year institution educational credentials needed for social mobility. This article aims to help K-12 and higher education faculty, practitioners, researchers, and administrators considering working with ganginvolved youth to understand better how to support this marginalized group’s educational needs and improve pathways into careers and postsecondary education systems. © 2025 Association for the Study of Higher Education All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Author Keywords

career aspirations college-going aspirations gang-involved youth Latino boys possible selves

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Abrams, Laura S., Negative Trends, Possible Selves, and Behavior Change: A Qualitative Study of Juvenile Offenders in Residential Treatment, Qualitative Social Work, 4, 2, pp. 175-196, (2005)
2 Albritton, Kizzy, Exploring Perceptions of the Path to Work/Life Success Among Middle School Students of Color, Journal of Career Development, 47, 4, pp. 440-453, (2020)
3 Nordic Social Work Research, (2022)
4 Bolger, Laura, An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Experience of Ex-Gang Members as They Transition into and Out of Gangs, Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 22, 2, pp. 186-219, (2022)
5 Britton, Tolani A., The Impact of State Drug Laws on High School Completion and College Enrollment for Latino Young Men, American Behavioral Scientist, 66, 10, pp. 1368-1393, (2022)
6 Brotherton, David Charles, The contradictions of suppression: Notes from a study of approaches to gangs in three public high schools, Urban Review, 28, 2, pp. 95-117, (1996)
7 How the Culture in School Counseling Programs Shapes College Going Outcomes do the Effects Vary by Race Professional School Counseling, (2023)
8 Carey, Roderick L., “Whatever You Become, Just Be Proud of It.” Uncovering the Ways Families Influence Black and Latino Adolescent Boys’ Postsecondary Future Selves, Journal of Adolescent Research, 37, 1, pp. 59-97, (2022)
9 Carson, Dena C., Gangs in School: Exploring the Experiences of Gang-Involved Youth, Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 17, 1, pp. 3-23, (2019)
10 Carson, Dena C., School transitions as a turning point for gang status, Journal of Crime and Justice, 40, 4, pp. 396-416, (2017)
Quick Actions
Full Text via DOI
Citation Metrics
0
Times Cited (Scopus)
References 10
Document Identifiers