Work

Social class background and the school-to-work transition

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: Whereas in years past, young people typically made a discrete transition from school to work, two ideal typical routes now characterize the sharing of school and work roles during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. Longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study show that one route involves less intensive employment during high school, followed by continued part-time employment and postsecondary educational investment. This pathway, more common for youth of higher-class origins, is especially beneficial for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. A second route is early intensive work experience during high school that is less conducive to longer-term educational and wage attainments.

Source: New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development

DOI: 10.1002/cd.209

Authors: Jeremy Staff, Jeylan T. Mortimer

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, University of Minnesota

Language: English

Topic: Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Decent work and economic growth, Quality education

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: U.S. Department of Education, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development