NCJ Number
120219
Date Published
1989
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Early youth research in the Netherlands focused on recreation and leisure themes, while the trend is now to stress the importance of life-world relationships.
Abstract
Life-world analysis focuses primarily on school and school cultures, political-cultural youth environments, youth unemployment and opinions on the meaning of labor, and youth social networks. The Dutch have been affected by the transformation of the welfare state and work society. In the course of this process, the status passage from school to work and adult life has come under pressure due to structural unemployment and the arrangement of various production sectors. The general level of education in Dutch society has increased significantly over the past two decades, and young females have been relatively successful in this process. Youth research in the school setting indicates that school conflicts primarily occur when the balance between students and teachers is disturbed, for example, by a strict teacher or by the impact of excessive homework on leisure time. Like teachers, students make a cost-benefit analysis of the energy they are willing to put into school work. Although the family life-world is less accessible to research than the school life-world, family studies have been conducted that focus on education style, identity development, and family climate. Youth research indicates that the educational and social value of school for future professional careers is better demonstrated by the parent-child relationship than by the school world. Research design and research methods of life-world studies are briefly discussed. 53 references.