Page 20 - 01/2022 PULSE@FASS e-Bulletin

PP Issue no. 1 | 2022
POSTGRADUATE HIGHLIGHTOSTGRADUATE HIGHLIGHTOSTGRADUATE HIGHLIGHT

I come from the Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan
ancient city of
Multan, Pakistan, and
Doctor of Philosophy
received my
Anthropology and Sociology
Bachelor's and
Master's degrees in
sociology from
Bahauddin Zakariya
be influenced by others irrespective of their
University, Multan. understanding and knowledge of the sociopolitical and
After my Master's, I economic landscape. I hope that in time, my research will
worked for UNICEF allow policymakers to strengthen professional counselling
at the grassroots level of education so that individuals will
where I learned the practical application of sociological
have more support in choosing the profession best suited
theories and research. That experience strengthened my
for them.
observational style and I learned from fieldwork how to
critically analyse the field. This eventually inspired me to
Although Covid-19 made it hard to keep my research on
begin a Ph.D. in the same field.
track, I learned a lot throughout my Ph.D. journey at FASS
in UM, especially from the competent and
When I was about to complete my M.Phil. degree I started well-versed
searching for suitable universities and came across the academics. In addition, I also have been taught novel
techniques for reviewing previous research, analysing
University of Malaya as the ideal place to begin my
data, and understanding the role of theories in scholarly
doctoral journey. This is because Malaysia has become a
symbol of success, sovereignty, and sincerity, with UM writing which have helped elevate my research.
securing a distinctive position in the region in terms of
*Muhammad Luqman is preparing for his Candidature
providing quality education to the rest of the world. The
Defense
welcoming and charming attitude of the Malaysian people
also helps.

At the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, my
study revolves around the individual’s process of making
career-related choices as impacted by parents and peers.
My personal experience and my social circle directed me
toward this topic. When I completed my M.Phil, I began
job-hunting without having any career ambitions. I
experienced many rejections which impacted both my
mental and physical health.

After a while, I also experienced both psychological and
physical pain relating to those who had been on my side
at the onset of my job hunt but were now on the other side
Transcribing field data with other local researchers in Pakistan
of the situation. Adding to this was the high expectations
parents typically hold for their children to exceed in their
tertiary education, select the right institutions of
education, and secure the right job. In Pakistan, parents
are more influential than other people in one's life and are
considered the ultimate authority in determining their
children’s future, including their professional careers.

As these elements converged, I felt I was a victim of social
expectations, with nobody taking equal responsibility for
my failures. Therefore, I decided to examine the influence
of parental and peer support, personal aspiration and self-
efficacy in one's career choice. What makes this research
interesting is how in my society it is common practice to On a short visit to Alor Setar to learn about Malaysia

20 | Pulse @ FASS