The proposed paper describes the results of two similar research surveys conducted in Indian and Russian rural schools. The aim of this comparative paper is to discuss the role of structural conditions in producing the relations between such factors as gender, academic success, socio-economic status of families, different school characteristics and educational and professional expectations of children. In particular, we aim at studying the factors influencing the decision of rural children/parents to continue education in urban educational institutions.

Educational expectations are concrete plans or beliefs of children about what they actually expect to happen in their educational career (Cook et al. 1996).  This concept has been one of the most popular topics within social research on education, social inequality and mobility for the past four decades. From early Wisconsin model (Sewell and Shah, 1968; Sewell, Haller, Portes, 1969; Sewell and Hauser, 1975) to recent research on value-rational models of educational choice (Stocke, 2007) aspirations and expectations are considered a powerful factor mediating between family socio-economic status and educational achievements and trajectories.

Another important theoretical concepts which we apply in our research are “frames” ((Esser, 2005; Kroneberg, 2007; Stocké V., 2007) and “horizons for action” (Hodkinson and Sparkes 1997; Hodkinson 1998). Both concepts as we see them, with all the difference between respective theoretical approaches behind the concepts, share the idea that people make rational educational and career decisions within certain perceived spectra of  available and socially approved opportunities.

Cook, T. D., Church, M. B., Ajanaku, S., Shadish, W. R. J., Kim, J., Ran, et al. (1996): The development of occupational aspirations and expectations among inner-city boys. Child Development, 67, pp. 3368-3385. Esser H. Rationalität und Bindung. Das Modell der Frame-Selektion und die Erklärung des normativen Handelns// Sonderforschungsbereich 504. 2005. No. 05-16 Kroneberg C. Wertrationalität und das Modell der Frame-Selektion // Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie. 2007. Jg. 59 (2). S. 215–239. Hodkinson,P., Sparkes, A.(1997): A Sociological Theory of Career Decision Making. British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 29-44. Hodkinson, P. (1998): The Origins of a Theory of Career Decision-Making: A Case Study of Hermeneutical Research. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 557-572. Sewell, W. H., Hauser, R. M.(1975): “Education, Occupation, and Earnings: Achievement in the Early Career”. New York: Academic Press. Sewell, W., Haller, A., Portes, A. (1969): The Educational and Early Occupational Attainment Process. American Sociological Review, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 82-92. Sewell, W., Shah, V.(1968): Parents' Education and Children's Educational Aspirations and Achievements. American Sociological Review, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 191-209. Stocke, V. Explaining Educational Decision and Effects of Families’ Social Class Position: An Empirical Test of the Breen–Goldthorpe Model of Educational Attainment. European Sociological Review, Vol. 23 No. 4, 2007, pp. 505–519.