Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 22 (8): 1193-1197, 2014
ISSN 1990-9233
© IDOSI Publications, 2014
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2014.22.08.21993
Peer and Friends and Career Decision Making: A Critical Analysis
1
Arab Naz, 2Gohar Saeed, 3Waseem Khan, 4Nasim Khan, 5Irum Sheikh and 6Nasar Khan
Department of Sociology/Social Work, University of Malakand,
Chakdara Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
2
Director Pakistan Academy of Rural Development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar, Pakistan
3
Department of Sociology University of Malakand, Pakistan
4
Department of Sociology AIOU Islamabad, Pakistan
5
F.G College of Home Economics and Management Sciences F-7/2 Islamabad, Pakistan
6
Department of Sociology University of Malakand, Pakistan
1
Abstract: Peer and friends are important aspect of socialization process and their influence and pressure has
also received wide acknowledgement in shaping and molding the course of an individual life. The current
discourse is based on content analysis as well as field information which explores the nature, level and extent
of peer and friends influence in career decision making process of an individual. The data has been collected
through library method i.e. searching relevant books, journals, articles, news papers and even internet sources
while field information has been obtained through questionnaire from 100 students using random sampling
method. All the collected information have critically analyzed, debated and explained to produce theory for
generalization while the field information has been analyzed in the form of frequencies and percentages
through chi-square test. The analysis and discussion thus give rise to an argument that although family i.e.
parents and other family members primarily geared and transformed the behavior of the children in multiple
ways, however; peer influence is an asset for developing career opportunities and decision making among
youth.
Key words: Behavior
Modification
Learning
Career
INTRODUCTION
Friends and peer group are important for individual
socialization as well as behavioral modification while
such group include same-age group i.e. not necessarily
friends while its formation is dependent on multiple
factors including situation, an accident, or association [1].
The development of child is initially the outcome of
family, however; peer overtakes the socialization process
with the selection and adoption of lifestyle, appearance,
social activities and academics etc [2]. Similarly, peer and
friends are pivotal and dramatic in shaping individual’s
perceptions, attitudes and ideas to understand the
outside world as well as decisions in future lives while [3]
accounted such relations as major supporting pillar in
times of distress and comforts.
Research and scholarships on the issue of friends
and peer influence suggest that peer and friends look
beyond the confines of home to explore and find avenues
that make their direction and self-expression more
Decision making
Opportunities etc
evident [4]. Similarly, friends and peers are helpful in
examining and scrutinizing feelings, beliefs and ideas in
an acceptable manner [5]. Besides, at the level of decision
making among youth, studies report that most of the
decisions are dependent on ability, education, teacher
advice, level of counseling with peers and even cultural
and familial background of friends [6- 11]. Recently,
potential friends and peers are potential sources of
positive relations towards education, job search and
even joining a social or political organization [12-16].
Relationally, as noted by [17-20] that negative influences
are overt in the form of delinquency, drug use, alcohol
consumption, smoking, sexuality and school dropout.
Further, it has been argued by Thomas and Webber
[21, 22] that the influences are dependent on male and
female, their dwellings, livelihood, classes, subjects and
their duration spend.
Peer influence is more observable in friendship and
mutual relations and among same-sex and boys
significantly influence [23]. Besides, the influence of peer
Corresponding Author: Dr. Arab Naz, Department of Sociology/Social Work, University of Malakand,
Chakdara Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected] .
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Hypothesis 1: Friends and Peer are influential in selection
of courses and their decision making process.
and fiends are considerable in substance use among
teenagers [24-26]. While talking about the peer and
friend's role in working and their decision, according to
[27] career performance and raising productivity is
evident among high productive workers. Falk and
Ichino[28] is of the opinion that more social ties among
workers increase productivity and workers friendship
have productive records as compared to other groups
[29]. Further, informational influences of friends on teens
is positively linked with teens’ enjoyments and shopping
behavior [30]. Summarizing the contents, peer and friends
play a significant role in changing the behavior of
individuals, personality development and decision making
regarding career, adaptation as well as positive and
negative behavior in future life.
Hypothesis 2: Peer and friends are more pivotal in career
decision making process of individual.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nature and Purpose and Area of the Study: The nature of
the current study is quantitative with explanation and
narration of the given data while focusing to analyze the
relation of peer and friends in career decision making
process. The study was therefore conducted at graduate
level in the University of Malakand Khybr Pakhtunkhwa
Pakistan.
The Study: The nature of the current debate is to analyze
how peer and friends are dominantly influencing decision
making process among youth in their educational level.
The information suggests school level students enter to
science group while 30% of the total students join general
group for their future career [31]. In this context, friends
and peers play a positive role in molding perception of
friends for future decisions [32]. Besides, the level of
association, achievements and the selection of a course
is also determined by peers and friends [33]. Further,
other aspects i.e. labor force, career decisions, adopting
negative and anti-social behavior are mostly influence by
peer and friends [34]. Studies indicate that a significant
relationship exist between one’s own employment
outcome and outcome for friends [35]. Similarly, the social
network and the income obtained is also linked with peer
relations [36]. The present research is thus analyzing
the role of peer and friends in decision making regarding
career development and opportunities.
Objective of the Study: The specific objectives of the
study are:
To study peer and friends influence academic
choices and decision making
To study and record how friends and peer are
influential in career decision making process
Hypotheses: Following are the hypotheses of the study:
Table 1: Friends and Peer and Academic Choices (N=100)
Friends, Peer and Academic Choices
Selection of Subject
Selection of Class
Selection of Libratory
Selection of Library and books
Selection of Co-curricular activities
Time for homework
The value of P=.000<.05, (
2
Population and Sampling Procedure: Among the
total 3441 students of graduate level, randomly,
04 departments were selected and giving equal
opportunities and chance to all of the students, a
sample of 25 each from the selected departments i.e. 100
from all the four departments including male and female
were selected.
Tools of Data Collection and Analysis: The information
was finally collected through structured questionnaire
where questionnaires were personally distributed and
collected at the same time. The data has been tabulated
with frequency distribution tables against each of the
factor in the form of percentage as well as detailed
discussion. Besides, the data has been verified with
chi-square test along with graphic presentation [37].
DISCUSSION
Friends and Peer and Academic Choices: The information
and its findings indicate friends and peer group are
influential in promoting academic choices. The major
portion of the sample data supports the contribution of
friends and peer in various aspects of the academic
choices. The field data and their results have been
discussed in percentage form while presented in the form
of table (Table 1) and Figure 1.
The tabular information illustrates that majority
(70%) of the peer and friends perceive that friends and
To some extent
24%
20%
15%
11%
13%
12%
To greater extent
Not at all
70%
68%
75%
80%
78%
80%
06%
12%
10%
9%
09%
08%
= 2.499E2a, df. = 16) shows a significant relation between the given variables with the chi-square test.
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Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 22 (8): 1193-1197, 2014
Fig 1:
Fig 2:
Table 2: Friends and Peer in Career Decision-Making (N=100)
Friends and Peer in Career Decision-Making
Help in Career Decision
Help in Selection of Profession
Help in Selection of Job
Helps in Employment
Help in Earning
To some extent
To greater extent
25%
22%
15%
11%
12%
70%
69%
75%
80%
80%
Not at all
05%
09%
10%
9%
08%
The value of P=.000<.05, ( 2 = 2.33E2a, df. = 15) shows a significant relation between the given variables with the chi-square test.
influence the selection of subject to a greater extent and
(24%) to some extent respectively. The selection of a class
peer and the influence of the peer and friends bas been
supported by 68% and 20% of the respondents to greater
and some extent while the selection of laboratory through
friends and peer has been opted by 75% and 15% to
greater extent as well as some extent respectively.
Similarly, as many as 80% of the respondents are of the
view that the selection of a library and books owe much
influence of their peers and friends (supported to a greater
extent) while 11% to some extent while in this context,
the selection of co-curricular activities and time provision
of homework was supported by 78% and 80% to a greater
extent and 13% and 12% to some extent in both of the
opinion. To conclude the discussion, peer and friends are
important in academic choices in the life of friends and
peer. The given information are graphically represented in
figure-1 below:
Besides, the level of influence as mentioned in the
hypothetical statement (Hypothesis-1) is measured
through chi-square test with a given value of P=.000<.05.
The value thus confirms that the given results are
significant and the relationship is strong between the
mentioned variables.
Friends and Peer in Career Decision-making:
The information with regard to the influence of peer and
friends in decision making process with respect to
career is discussed and analyzed in tabular for
(see Table-2) and the graphic display has been made in
figure-2. Again the information clearly affirms that during
the course of life, peer and friends dominate the future
decision making regarding jobs and related career.
The statistics in the form of percentages shows that
a thumping majority i.e. 70% agrees that peer and friends
helps in career decision making to a greater extent and
25% believe it to some extent. Similarly, the data shows
that professional career is mostly decided and influenced
by peer and friends i.e. such statement has been
supported to a greater extent by 69% of the respondents
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and 22% of respondents to some extent. Besides, 75% of
the population supports the idea that peer and friends are
majorly helping in the selection of job i.e. supported to a
greater extent and 11% support the statement to some
extent in this regard. Lastly, the employment opportunities
and earning tendencies has been analyzed in the table
and the statements have been supported 80% in both of
the categories to a greater extent and 11% and 12% to
some extent respectively (see figure-2 below):
Illuminating and analyzing the results of the given
information with respect to the tables and hypothesis 02),
the test statistics in the form of chi-square concluded
that a positive and strong association exist between
the variables. The value of P=.000<.05 and 2 = 2.33E2a,
df. = 15 show that the results are linked in a positive
manner and thus the given hypothesis is valid.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
CONCLUSION
The study and its findings indicate that peer and
friends have considerable impetus towards career
decisions and academic choices. However, if we look to
the role of parents in the socialization process and
personality development, they usually play the initial
leading roles in the value transmission but peer and
friends seem to have the greatest role in adaptation of
lifestyle, appearances, decision making and even
educational choices. The present study concludes that
peer and friends dominate in academic choices and career
decision making process. The information illustrates that
peer and friends have a positive role in selection of
subjects, selection of a class, selection of laboratory,
library and books and facilitation in homework and
co-curricular activities owe much influence of their peers
and friends. The statistics regarding career decision
making shows that peer and friends helps in career
decision making, professional career, helping in the
selection of job, help in employment opportunities and
earning tendencies are mostly influence by peer and
friends. Illuminating and analyzing the results of the
given information with respect to the tables and
hypothesis, it has been concluded that peer and friends
are pivotal in career decision making process of the peers
and friends.
8.
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