Young People's Career Research Articles

Fairness, Trust, and Well-Being Among Young Adults: Evidence from 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS).

Background. As China has undergone tremendous socioeconomic and demographic changes during and after the pandemic, it is crucial to enhance youth well-being and facilitate their transition into the workforce. This study aims to explore the multi-dimensional features of well-being and examine their relationships with fairness and trust. Methods. Using the nationally representative data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study analyzes the well-being of 1726 young adults aged 18 to 34 years old living in 19 provinces in China. Results. The research findings generate five latent factors of well-being and reveal the multi-faceted nature of subjective well-being, including physical and mental health challenges, positive outlook, sense of purpose, personal growth, and self-fulfillment. Physical and mental health is the cornerstone for well-being and happiness. Young people with poor physical and mental health conditions are less likely to perceive that society is fair or that people are trustworthy. Additionally, a positive outlook and future orientation are strongly associated with high fairness and/or trust. Discussion and Conclusions. By investigating the differential domains of well-being, this study contributes to the literature with the new conceptualization of well-being sub-measures and their application to youth. Furthermore, this study identifies that well-being is not only an individual-level characteristic but also a group-level attribute that can contribute to fairness and trust at the societal level. As China continues to expand its infrastructure on education, health, and technology, it is expected that sustainable economic growth and development should boost young people's career development and promote their upward mobility.

Young People's Career Roadmap: Demographic Factors Determining Emotional and Psychological Well-Being in Secondary School

Determining secondary school students' emotional and psychological well-being and understanding the factors affecting these constructs is important due to the increasing interest in educational psychology. The study group consisted of 254 middle school students aged 10-14. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine the level of prediction of emotional and psychological well-being of middle school students by age and career development. In the first block of the analysis, age, and average academic achievement were taken, and it was determined that they explained 10% of the variance in emotional and psychological well-being. In the second block, career development sub-dimensions were taken, and it was seen that these sub-dimensions contributed 24% to emotional and psychological well-being. The findings obtained from the study were discussed in comparison with the studies in the literature, and suggestions were made for field workers.

The Relationships Between Career-Related Emotional Support From Parents and Teachers and Career Adaptability.

Career-related support from parents and teachers plays an essential role in the process of promoting young people's career development. This study examined the relationship between parents' and teachers' career-related support and career adaptability among Chinese male primary school preservice teachers (N = 772). The participants completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Version (CAAS), the Career-Related Parental Support Scale (CRPSS), and the Career-Related Teacher Support Scale (CRTSS). Results showed that a high level of emotional support from parents and teachers had more effects on the career adaptability of Chinese male primary school preservice teachers then other aspects in the scale, and teachers' emotional support is more important than parents' emotional support. Notably, there is a complex correlation among education level and occupation of parents and their children's occupational adaptability. These findings carry implications for supporting teachers and parents in facilitating preservice teachers' career adaptability. Future research could identify the differential effects of different forms of teacher support and parental support relate to career adaptability.

“I Have Always thought that, If I Am Poor, I’m Also Supposed to Study Poorly”

The goal of this study is to highlight the embodied nature of social class inequalities in education. Drawing from a larger study that examined educational outcomes and work careers of young people whose families received welfare benefits in Croatia when these individuals were of high school age, the article focuses on biographical narrative interviews with three young individuals. These strategically selected cases were characterized by a shared experience of living in poverty that was, nevertheless, marked by very different initial intersections of social advantages and disadvantages (middle-class fall into poverty, intergenerational poverty, and poverty intersecting with anti-Roma racism). Based on the comparison of these three life stories, this study utilizes Bourdieu’s concept of habitus as a conceptual tool, incorporating both cognitive and affective schemas, to examine how these young individuals framed their lives and educational trajectories. In doing so, this study builds on the work by scholars such as Reay who extend the explorations of embodied social inequalities in education into the realm of emotions, which are—in line with the growing body of work in the sociology of emotions—understood as embedded in (unequal) social relations. Therefore, the analysis of this study focuses on how, in the three examined life stories, the horizons of probable, possible, and unimaginable were perceived very differently and shaped by distinct affective structures. The findings of this study suggest that cognitive and affective schemas function jointly, as integral elements of a social inequalities’ mechanism rooted in the compounding of advantages or disadvantages.

UNDERSTANDING THE RISK IN THE YOUTH ENVIRONMENT

The formation of modern youth is taking place in the period of socio-political transformations, which directly impact the life orientations of young people, their behaviour, social-economic situation. The factors mtioned above contribute to the spread of risks associated with threats to health and life, uncertainty of life start and self-realization, value and regulatory uncertainty. The purpose of the article: is to study approaches to identifying risk factors that impact the youth environment. Research methods applied: analysis and synthesis of scientific literature (to clarify the key concepts of the study), systematization (in order to identify existing scientific approaches to solving the problem), theoretical generalization (to formulate the final provisions and conclusions). If earlier scientific researches were mainly concentrated within the limits of natural-scientific and economic courses, now the allocation of a separate interdisciplinary direction − riskology is actual. The majority of young people experience the problem of life-start, which has a negative impact on the working career of young people, their family life and lifestyle and makes young people financially dependent on their parents. Globalization has had a significant impact on the development of the risk society. In the context of globalization, traditional social ties are being destroyed; young people avoid traditional restrictions, but at the same time lose a sense of reliability, stability, confidence in the future and feel anxious and afraid of the need to choose. Therefore, public policy should take into account all the factors that have a negative impact on the youth environment and help minimize the risks and form «socially healthy» youth.

ENHANCING STUDENTS INDEPENDENT LEARNING ACTIVITES IN A DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIROMENT

The article discusses the e-learning system as an actual form of digital and distance learning. In connection with the popularization of digital technologies, the education system has partially transformed and expanded its capabilities, making education accessible to everyone. Due to the unforeseen prevalence and the forced transition of learning to an electronic distance learning environment, there were still insufficiently tested pedagogical methods that stimulate students' interest in the online educational process. In this work, the authors analyze the methods and ways of enhancing the independent learning activity of students. The teacher's creative approach to the organization of the educational process in the online format serves as the basis for the development of independence and self-organization of students. Self-organization, in turn, is associated not only with educational activities, but also with the life and professional career of young people. For this purpose, in the process of educational activity, serious attention should be paid to self-organization not only within the educational process, but also in extracurricular activities.

Social Representation of Non-Academic Work in Mexico in the Light of Cultural Artefacts

Context: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has attracted increasing interest in recent years due to its potential to address productivity and equity challenges, such as better employment prospects, as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the potential of such programmes, the enrolment rate in vocational training at upper secondary level in Mexico is 38.2%, i.e. below the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 45.7%. This raises the question of possible reasons for the low enrolment rate. Approach: Based on the assumption that attitudes towards non-academic work are culturally anchored in Mexican society, which also shapes the educational and career aspirations of younger generations, the project named Cultural Practice of Non-academic Work in Mexico (KuPraMex), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), investigates social representations of non-academic work in Mexico. This is done through the analysis of artefacts such as films, murals, etc., as these are part of the tangible culture of a society. As materialised products of human activities or cultural practices, artefacts can be understood as objectifications of social relations and conditions. Therefore, in this context, it is assumed that through the analysis of cultural artefacts, a deeper understanding of how non-academic work is thought, felt, and valued in Mexican society will emerge.Findings: It has been found that the topic on non-academic work is often associated with informality. Moreover, the representations and narratives in cultural artefacts often show that non-academic work, apart from office work, is physically challenging but cognitively undemanding. In terms of access to a company, social networks seem to have enormous relevance. Hierarchies seem rigid and opportunities for promotion limited. However, narratives with more positive attributions regarding non-academic work can also be identified, which state that young people experience a habitus transformation through work. Conclusion: Nevertheless, non-academic work in Mexico seems to lack prestige, which may affect young people's educational and career aspirations and choices. This could mean that those who can afford it prefer to pursue a career in tertiary education rather than opt for a TVET programme. At the macro level, the mentioned lack of prestige could hamper attempts to offer such programmes.

A családi háttér és a munkaerő-piaci sikeresség összefüggései

Tanulmányunkban arra vállalkozunk, hogy feltárjuk a diplomás (abszolutóriumot szerzett) pályakezdők társadalmi hátterét képzési területek szerint. Ennek során nagy hangsúlyt fektetünk a szülők iskolai végzettségére és a család anyagi helyzetére vonatkozóan, hiszen e tényezők szignifikáns hatást gyakorolhatnak a fiatalok tanulási lehetőségére, attitűdjére, valamint szakmai pályafutására. Kutatásunk elméleti részében fontosnak tartjuk ismertetni a hazai és nemzetközi szerzők szocio-ökonómiai helyzettel kapcsolatos tapasztalatait. Ezt követően a Diplomás Pályakövetési Rendszer (DPR) 2015-ös adatbázisa kiváló lehetőséget nyújtott számunkra, hogy a 34 felsőoktatási intézmény által gyűjtött komplex adatokat tanulmányozhassuk. Elemzésünk során rávilágítottunk a különböző tudományterületek végzettjeinek eltérő szocio-ökonómiai hátterére. Kutatási eredményeink alapján arra a következtetésre jutottunk, hogy a gazdagabb családokból származó fiatalok előnyösebb helyzetben vannak a munkaerőpiacon, magasabb jövedelemre tesznek szert, szemben az alacsonyabb társadalmi státuszú szülők gyerekeivel.

The relationship between meritocratic beliefs and career outcomes: The moderating role of socioeconomic status

Based on a self-regulatory perspective, this study examined a serial mediation model in which meritocratic beliefs about social attainment were related to higher expected income via career goal clarity and goal persistence. In addition, we tested whether these potential relationships were stronger for young people from lower SES families. Using a sample of 251 young adults (66.5% male), we found, as expected, meritocratic beliefs were related to greater goal clarity and goal persistence, which, in turn, were related to higher expected salary. The relationships between meritocratic beliefs and goal clarity, persistence, and expected salary, as well as the serial mediation relationship, were stronger for those who perceived themselves to be less socially advantaged. Contrary to expectation, meritocratic beliefs only related indirectly to expected salary. These findings highlight the importance of meritocratic beliefs about social outcomes and SES in young people's career self-regulation.

PRECARITIZATION AND LABOR SELF-FULFILLMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE:

Evaluation of the current transformations of the social and labor structure of society is one of the central topics in sociological knowledge. At the present stage, all social structures and institutions are becoming more flexible, mobile and changeable, characterized by instability and insecurity. Labor practices, professional trajectories and careers of young people also become unstable. The attention of an increasing number of scientists is attracted to non-linear youth employment strategies that contribute to the formation of a new “group” in the social structure of modern Russian society - the precariat. This article presents the results of a study of precarization in the youth environment as a consequence of the socio-economic transformations of recent decades. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with unstable busy young people of Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia), as well as a secondary analysis of sociological and statistical data, factors, motives and consequences of young people choosing precarious employment are considered. It is shown that precarious forms of employment are considered by young people as a temporary measure, consent to such work leaves the possibility to easily and simply refuse it if it does not fit, and the decision on unstable employment without social guarantees can be either forced or voluntary.

Within-person relationship between career goal feedback and career-related stress: A weekly survey study.

Based on social-cognitive and general self-regulation theories, this study examined the underlying mechanisms of the within-person relationship between negative career goal feedback and career-related stress. Using a sample of young adults and a weekly survey study with four measurements (212 observations), we found that negative feedback on career progress and poor feedback on improvements needed for career progress related to more career stress, and that career-related self-efficacy mediated the link between feedback on improvements needed and stress. In addition, trait optimism buffered the link between negative feedback on progress and stress. These findings highlight important roles for career feedback and optimism in young people's career self-regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Stigma and the doomed-to-fail school careers of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods

ABSTRACTThe paper contributes to ‘geographies of education’ (Holloway, S., and H. Jöns. 2012. “Geographies of Education and Learning.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 37 (4): 482–488), as it presents the typical school careers of students stigmatized in educational institutions because of their disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Drawing on qualitative research with male residents of one disadvantaged neighbourhood in Łódź (Poland), I identify their typical careers as ‘doomed-to-fail school careers’. The paper has three aims. First, it highlights the significance of stigma-based spatially embedded school practices on the educational failure and low-paid employment of students from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Second, it uncovers forms of school control over stigmatized students and the students’ resistance to these. Finally, I argue that Erving Goffman’s theory of stigma in human geography (Goffman, E. 1963. Stigma. Notes on Management of Spoiled Identity. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall) offers a unique language to describe and explain the spatially embedded educational experiences of marginalized students.

The impact of parental young onset dementia on children and young people's educational careers.

It is well established that having a parent with any illness or disability can have an adverse effect on individuals’ experiences of education and on their educational progress. Advances in medical knowledge are leading to more people under 65 being diagnosed with young onset dementias and, concomitantly, to more children and young people who are in education having a parent with this diagnosis. Hardly any research has asked these young people directly about their experiences, but the limited evidence suggests that there will likely be significant emotional, mental and psychological damage with enduring impact on their lives. This article, drawing on findings from a unique narrative, auto/biographical study involving 24 British 6 to 31‐year‐olds, focuses on the consequences of parental young onset dementia for educational careers. These dementias are untimely progressive terminal illnesses with unpredictable trajectories and timelines, throughout the course of which physical, cognitive and emotional functions and abilities are inexorably lost. Participants’ experiences show that living with a parent with young onset dementia, whilst negotiating the education system, can be extremely hard. Difficulties are exacerbated by the condition's distinctive characteristics, the current lack of any cure and anticipatory, pre‐death grief. Lack of public awareness and understanding, both of young onset dementias and of dedicated resources and support services, also result in many feeling isolated and ignored. We make suggestions for positive provision and actions that educational institutions can make to begin to meet the particular needs of these young people.

Young people's career choices in Swedish rural contexts: Schools' social codes, migration and resources

Successful social and economic integration into Swedish society increasingly demands a post-compulsory education, but such education is increasingly centralised, posing problems for rural young people. To help efforts to address such problems, this article considers social codes and resources that may influence rural young peoples' trajectories to post-secondary and higher education. This is done by analysing how codes and resources (social, cultural and material) influenced thoughts of students preparing to leave compulsory education regarding their educational/career choices. The empirical data were gathered using ethnographic approaches (classroom observations, and interviews with students, teachers, heads and study/work counsellors) in six classes in six rural Swedish towns, differing in terms of size, access to post-compulsory education, unemployment and young peoples' trajectories. The theoretical framework is based on Massey's understandings of place and power geometry, i.e. the distinct ways different social groups and individuals are placed in relation to the flows and interconnections of socio-economic and cultural interactions. The results indicate that social resources such as siblings and cousins ‘paving the way’, or relatives in towns offering possible options, may influence choices of upper secondary school. Cultural resources such as institutional recognition, in the form of academic credentials or qualifications, were also important. So too were financial resources, partly because economically privileged students tended to pick the programme of their choice, without reflecting much about where they would live, while less privileged students had to consider potential accommodation problems. In conclusion, differences in resources seem even more important to rural young people than they reportedly are for their urban peers.

Motivation and young people's career planning: A perspective from the reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality

We examined the associations between personality factors of the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) of personality and career planning predispositions in young people (university students and recent graduates), comprising Career Adaptability, Career Optimism, and Perceived Knowledge. As predicted, all three career planning dispositions were positively correlated with Behavioural Approach System (BAS) scores, principally Reward Interest and Goal-Drive Persistence; and all dispositions negatively correlated with Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) scores – these significant associations survived hierarchical multiple regression with age and gender statistically controlled. These findings indicate that motivational factors of the kind measured by RST-related approach-avoidance factors are associated meaningfully with career planning predispositions. Although a novel finding, further work is needed to determine whether these relationships exist when actual career-related decisions and behaviours are examined.

Reproductive rights and the career plans of U.S. college freshmen

This paper studies the heterogeneous effects of the birth control pill and abortion rights on young people's career plans. In particular, these effects are allowed to vary by sex, race, religion, and, importantly, by level of academic ability. Using annual surveys of over two million college freshmen from 1968 to 1976, I find that the pill mainly affected high ability women, by shifting their plans toward occupations with higher wages and higher male ratios. Abortion rights, in contrast, were mainly shown to affect women in the low ability group, with their plans shifting toward careers associated with lower income and lower prestige scores. My findings also suggest that the career plans of black males were positively affected by both increased access to the pill and abortions.

Rural and remote young people's health career decision making within a health workforce development program: a qualitative exploration

One strategy aimed at resolving ongoing health workforce shortages in rural and remote settings has been to implement workforce development initiatives involving the early activation and development of health career aspirations and intentions among young people in these settings. This strategy aligns with the considerable evidence showing that rural background is a strong predictor of rural practice intentions and preferences. The Broken Hill Regional Health Career Academy Program (BHRHCAP) is an initiative aimed at addressing local health workforce challenges by helping young people in the region develop and further their health career aspirations and goals. This article reports the factors impacting on rural and remote youths' health career decision-making within the context of a health workforce development program. Data were collected using interviews and focus groups with a range of stakeholders involved in the BHRHCAP including local secondary school students, secondary school teachers, career advisors, school principals, parents, and pre-graduate health students undertaking a clinical placement in Broken Hill, and local clinicians. Data interpretation was informed by the theoretical constructs articulated within socio cognitive career theory. Young people's career decision-making in the context of a local health workforce development program was influenced by a range of personal, contextual and experiential factors. These included personal factors related to young people's career goals and motivations and their confidence to engage in career decision-making, contextual factors related to BHRHCAP program design and structure as well as the visibility and accessibility of health career pathways in a rural setting, and experiential factors related to the interaction and engagement between young people and role models or influential others in the health and education sectors. This study provided theoretical insight into the broader range of interrelating and complex personal, contextual and experiential factors impacting on rural and remote youths' career decision-making within a health workforce development initiative.

Professional mobilities in the creative industries: The role of “place” for young people aspiring for a creative career

Within creative industries policy, two themes have been situated as central to the needs of the creative economy: the economic importance of place and the role of education in delivering a better-equipped workforce. However, these themes have rarely overlapped in either policy thinking or academic research, and so this article focuses on the relationship between place, education and professional aspirations for young people. Using the findings from qualitative interviews with media studies students within higher education (HE), this article analyses how the perceived attributes of some locations may provide industry credibility and the promise of enhanced professional mobility. It examines the tangible and symbolic value of place within young people's career development in the creative industries. The findings highlight how the links between place and education can influence the professional process, and how place shapes young people's perceptions of and opportunities for work in the creative industries. Finally, this research emphasises how current theories on creative industries policy and HE provision need to be extended to take greater account of the ways in which the attributes of localities can be used as a catalyst for individual professionalism amongst young people, and the ways in which certain places (mainly rural) may be disadvantaged in the current policy trajectory.

Digital socialization: young people's changing value orientations towards internet use between adolescence and early adulthood

This study investigates emerging differences among young people in their judgements about the benefits and risks of internet use. To ascertain how and why diverse values and practices emerge, and their implications for young people's careers and relationships, we examined influences on youth internet use over a five-year period between adolescence and early adulthood. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a subset of young Australians (n = 20) who participated in the longitudinal study Social Futures and Life Pathways (‘Our Lives’), in the year after high school (aged 17–18 years). Participants were strategically selected using survey data on their academic and social internet-use patterns five years earlier (aged 12–13 years), enabling us to explore the origins, attributes, and outcomes of their distinct use pathways. We found that interviewees' ‘digital socialization’ involved different ways of reconciling technological developments with their ideas about the pathway to maturity and status recognition. Young people who grew up with limited internet access learned to view task-oriented use, such as schoolwork, as the only worthwhile use of this access. Academically driven students instead valued such use as a more productive and refined choice when compared to other social and recreational practices. Those with better, less regulated access were less dismissive of these non-educational uses, and were more confident and pragmatic about online opportunities and risks as they approached early adulthood. Our findings highlight the need to support young people in developing the capacity to manage, rather than avoid the risks of the internet.

Learning to gamble: early gambling experiences among young people in Denmark

This article presents results from the first phase of a longitudinal qualitative study of gambling among young people in Denmark. The longitudinal study is designed to capture the trajectories of young gamblers and to explore how social and cultural factors and processes impact on young people's gambling careers. The first stage of analysis places a special emphasis on young people's introduction to gambling and the social contexts of these early gambling experiences. Theoretically, this first study is guided by a symbolic interactionist approach. We conclude that early experiences with gambling are socially mediated and that significant social contexts such as the family and peer groups form important contexts of these early experiences. Our evidence suggest that becoming engaged in gambling is a social process involving a transfer of skills and knowledge in which novices learn how to play and to attribute specific meanings to gambling. Overall, our findings indicate that young people start gambling not because of purely individual characteristics or deviant motivations but through social processes within significant social networks. Implications for prevention and further research are briefly discussed.