Abstract
Based on a series of EU-funded research projects, this chapter investigates constellations of interaction between young people’s subjective orientations and coping strategies with regard to transitions to work and family on the one hand and respective socio-economic and institutional frameworks on the other. First, it is argued that there are variations in the extent to which different notions of successful transitions can be actively negotiated between institutional and individual actors; the crucial concept here is biographical agency. The findings suggest that research which up to now has concentrated on input and output of young people’s agency needs to put more stress on analysing the complex interpretation and negotiation processes that underlie individual decision-making. Thereby it may contribute not only to a better understanding of young people’s agency but also to the analysis of social change and – through a reflection of what makes successful transitions – its implications for the status of adulthood. Second, these interrelations between structure and agency are interrelated with the modalities and conditions of support for young people in their transitions. These vary according to different constellations of socio-economic, institutional and cultural factors, so-called transition regimes, with particular meanings of work, family, youth, disadvantage or support which represent different regulatory frameworks of youth transitions. The combination of a biographical and a comparative perspective has a potential of contributing to theorising the relation between structure and agency in youth transitions.
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Walther, A., Stauber, B., Pohl, A. (2013). Support and Success in Youth Transitions: A Comparative Analysis on the Relation Between Subjective and Systemic Factors. In: Moreno Minguez, A. (eds) Family Well-Being. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 49. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4354-0_11
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