ABSTRACT
A paradox of the present times can be seen through a wider reach of school education in India, which has created distinct employment aspirations among youth for upward mobility. At the same time, inadequate employment opportunities to realize aspirations have created uncertainties among these youth for their future. This chapter explores the employment aspirations and the reasons that shape the employment aspirations of low-income Muslim men (aged 18–25 years) in a single neighbourhood in Delhi. Second, it aims to understand the short-term changes in the employment aspirations of the low-income Muslim men after a period of 20 months of the first round of the study. The chapter shows the important role played by family, peers, and the neighbourhood influences in shaping the aspirations of the Muslim male youth. Critically, the chapter highlights the significance of self-employment activities in shaping the career aspirations of the men. It further stresses on the distress-driven nature of self-employment as a career option for these men and demonstrates that after a period of 20 months, fulfilling even modest aspirations for self-employment is mired in difficulties.
