Some Things Never Change: Youth and Occupational Preferences

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study patterns of occupational preferences among young people in Norway. What do they consider important when they are planning their future occupation? Are their preferences the result of gender, residence or the education of their father? There are different ways of understanding the formation of individual preferences and values. Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus is a perspective where such preferences are considered to be the products of structural variables such as educational background, geographical background and gender. As an alternative, a perspective is presented where the underlying assumption is that such determinants have ceased to function and individual freedom is central. In the second part of the article, empirical data are used to test the hypotheses posed by these two opposing perspectives. The data are from a survey conducted among upper secondary school pupils in Norway. The pupils were asked what they regarded as important and less important when choosing their future occupation. The results indicate that, although many pupils embrace post-material values such as self-realization, others think differently. Some of the differences may be explained by educational background and gender. This leads to the conclusion that both perspectives, structural reproduction and individual freedom, are justified when modern society is being discussed