Social Origins, Adolescent Experiences and Work Value Trajectories During the Transition to Adulthood

• NCJ Number: 195555
• Journal: Social Forces Volume: 80 Issue: 4 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 1307-1341
• Author(s): Monica K. Johnson
• Date Published: June 2002
• Length: 35 pages
• Grant Number(s): SBF-9811115
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the “average trajectories” of work values of young people and the ways in which this reflected social origins and early experiences.

Abstract

Little attention has been given to differences among adolescents in the formation and maintenance of goals, values, and aspirations. The dynamic nature of work values as young people move through the early adult years was studied. The concerns were the over-ambition of youth in the United States and other industrial societies; changes that may occur in work values during the transition to adulthood; and the links between key aspects of social origins, adolescent experiences at school and work, and work values across the transition to adulthood. The data were from a repeated cross-sectional survey of United States high school seniors carried out annually since 1976. The analysis was based on panel data collected from a subset of participants for each of the five senior-year cohorts, 1976-1980. Results showed that, for adolescents as a group, several types of work rewards important to them just after they left high school continued to be as important to them as they entered their thirties. Along three dimensions, adolescents on average adjusted downward their assessments of how important these job rewards were to them as they got older. Extrinsic, altruistic, and social values showed an overall downward trajectory over time during the transition to adulthood. Given the tendency for adolescents to rate many job rewards highly, exceeding what will be available to them in the labor market, a reduction in the average importance ratings with age would seem to reflect growing realism in related expectations. The picture that emerges is one of coming to terms with limited opportunities. Work value trajectories are tied to social origin and early experience, with gender and race playing an important role both in initial adolescent work values and in changes that occur across the young adult years. The work values of young black women changed the most as they came to terms with their occupational opportunities. 2 figures, 3 tables, appendix, 8 notes, 65 references