This session explores how gender and social inequalities shape adolescents' educational and occupational aspirations and their subsequent outcomes. It highlights the potential of educational panel surveys, such as the DAB Panel Study, from three key perspectives: First, by capturing subjective perceptions and analysing the mechanisms behind educational choices through a sociological lens; second, by serving as a longitudinal study documenting educational trajectories over more than 10 years; and third, by providing a basis for linking and comparing data from different sources. The session will demonstrate these strengths by offering insights into how adolescents' social background and gender influence their educational and occupational decisions, as well as their long-term trajectories.

The first presentation examines how adolescents' subjective expectations during upper secondary education contribute to social inequalities in access to tertiary education. It shows that students from higher social backgrounds are more likely to pursue academic careers, thereby reinforcing long-term inequalities in access to higher education.

The second paper analyses how gender and social class shape occupational aspirations. By integrating O*NET data on occupational content, status and culture, it explores how socio-economic background and gendered expectations influence students' career choices and shows how aspirations are structured by both class and gender.

The third paper presents a cross-national comparison between Switzerland and Germany, analysing how country-specific occupational and institutional structures shape adolescents' aspirations and their alignment with later employment outcomes. Using data from the DAB panel and the NEBS SC4 cohort, combined with large-scale labour market data, the paper examines the qualification and gender profile of occupational aspirations and their realisation in relation to country-specific occupational structures.

The papers in this session provide valuable insights into how early career aspirations, shaped by gender and social background, influence later educational and employment outcomes. The longitudinal design of the DAB panel study, combined with external data sources, provides a comprehensive perspective on the persistence of inequalities in educational and occupational careers. This session underlines the importance of longitudinal panel studies for investigating the long-term effects of early decisions on social and gender inequalities. By integrating sociological theory, empirical data and cross-national comparisons, it advances our understanding of how early choices shape educational outcomes.