Vocational Identity Formation of College Students in Macau

Abstract

Forming a vocational identity is a main developmental task during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. This study examined identity formation of college students in Macau, China, based on a neo‐Eriksonian identity formation framework. Data were collected through semistructured in‐depth interviews of 19 college students in Macau. All data were transcribed and analyzed by thematic analysis. Results indicated 2 themes, each with several subthemes that describe participants' vocational identity formation process. This study contributes to the vocational identity literature by integrating a collaborative perspective into the discussion of vocational exploration and revealing unique issues of vocational identity formation in a non‐Western and developing society.