ABSTRACT

In environment characterized by structural and economic inequality, aspirations serve as powerful through  which  human development  and  social  mobility  are  understood. This  study  tries  to understand how girls’ educational aspirations are formed and what barriers they face, particularly in low-income communities, for the attainment of their aspirations. For this purpose, this study uses Bourdieu’s theory of habitus and the capability approach, highlighting the way school-going girls’ abilities and functioning are shaped within constrictive social, economic, and gendered environment by the interplay between habitus and capability and the way this interplay impacts the formation and realization of aspiration.

Adding to the understanding of the intricate structural and internal elements that influence the educational journeys of female students, particularly of the marginalized female students of Islamabad, this study uses a mixed method approach. The study relies on qualitative information from semi-structured interviews with students, teachers and key stakeholders from education department and quantitative data from structured questionnaires from school-going girls. In order to understand how aspirations are socially and structurally situated and dialectically related, the study uses empirical analysis on the data collected.

This research not only documents the presence of aspiration gaps but also inquiries into the structural forces that sustain the gap, primarily by integrating statistical evidence with lived experiences of the school-going girls. The result of this study draws policymakers, practitioners, and scholars’ attention to some of the most pertinent questions related to equity, opportunity, and the transformative role of education in shaping futures.