Do James’s goals clash with other characters?

I do not really think there is a clash. James wants to find his own identity throughout the novel. Ruth would like him to get an education and find himself that way. To some extent James does this but he also insists on exploring race and his mother's past. Ruth seldom talked about her past and maintained that race was irrelevant to the type of person someone wants to be. James also seeks a street education which bothers his mother to no end.