“You’ve made it if you can, not have to live to survive, but live to live”: Beliefs about socioeconomic success and mobility among youth and parents in public housing

Beliefs about success and social mobility are important contributors to young people’s wellbeing and motivation, yet understanding of youths’ and parents’ views on these factors is limited. Prior work is mostly quantitative, using researcher-defined definitions that prioritize financial success, educational attainment, and occupational prestige. To expand this perspective, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a racially diverse sample of 25 youth ages 12 to 24 (M = 17) and 32 parents living in a large public housing development (39 % Hispanic or Latino, 19 % Black, 16 % Asian, 16 % White, 11 % multiracial). We asked participants about their goals for their own and their children’s future, how they would define success, and the processes that support or impede said success. We coded and analyzed transcripts using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, centering participants’ experiences. Most parents (81 %) and youth (92 %) expressed traditional views of success, emphasizing educational attainment, well-paying careers, and homeownership. These views align closely with the American Dream. Close to half of participants described alternative definitions of success, emphasizing non-socioeconomic and communal values, such as job satisfaction, morals, and familial relationships. Most youth and parents emphasized a reliance on personal characteristics, like hard work, as key to achieving success. Far fewer acknowledged structural barriers that made “getting ahead” difficult, including financial stressors, neighborhood disadvantage, discrimination, and stigma. Study findings extend prior work highlighting how perspectives of success are nuanced and encompass both traditional and alternative views, with implications for policies and programs that aim to support social mobility among youth and families living in poverty.