Young People's Development and the Great Recession: Uncertain Transitions and Precarious Futures

by Ingrid Schoon (Editor), John Bynner (Editor)

Overview

The 2007–8 financial crisis and subsequent 'Great Recession' particularly affected young people trying to make their way from education into the labour market at a time of economic uncertainty and upheaval. This is the first volume to examine the impact of the Great Recession on the developmental stage of young adulthood, a critical phase of the life course that has great significance in the foundations of adult identity. Using evidence from longitudinal data sets spanning three major OECD countries, these essays examine the recession's effects on education and employment outcomes, and consider the wider psycho-social consequences, including living arrangements, family relations, political engagement, and health and well-being. While the recession intensified the impact of pre-existing trends towards a prolonged dependence on parents and, for many, the precaritization of life chances, the findings also point to manifestations of resilience, where young people countered adversity by forging positive expectations of the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107172975
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/02/2017
Pages:	510
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.18(d)

About the Author

Ingrid Schoon is Professor of Human Development and Social Policy at the Institute of Education, University College London, and Research Professor at the Berlin Social Science Centre (Wissenschaftszentrum).

John Bynner is Emeritus Professor of Social Sciences in Education at the Institute of Education, University College London, and Executive Editor of the international journal Longitudinal and Life Course Studies.

Table of Contents

Part I. Introduction: 1. Conceptualizing youth transitions in times of economic upheaval and uncertainty: a life course perspective Ingrid Schoon and John Bynner; Part II. The Changing Context of Youth Transitions: 2. Globalization and its impact on the political, economic and labor market aspects of the transition David N. Ashton; 3. The Great Recession and youth labor market outcomes in international perspective Arnaldo Mont'Alvao, Jeylan T. Mortimer and Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson; 4. Comparative perspectives: education and training system effects on youth transitions and opportunities Andy Green and Nicola Pensiero; Part III. Variations in Education and Employment Transitions during Times of Economic Hardship: 5. Young people's experiences of employment and unemployment across Europe: evidence from the EU-SILC Maria Iacovou; 6. Structural advantages, personal capacities and young adult functioning during the Great Recession Robert Crosnoe and Chelsea Smith; 7. The vanishing teenage worker Jeremy Staff, Nayan Ramirez and Kelsey Cundiff; 8. Education and employment transitions in Germany Olaf Groh-Samberg and Ramsey Wise; 9. Labor market entry before and after the financial crisis in Germany: duration of labor market entry, quality of first job, and fixed-term employment Pia Blossfeld; Part IV. The Impact of the Great Recession on Families: 10. Transitioning to adulthood in the wake of the Great Recession: family context and consequences Patrick Wightman, Robert F. Schoeni, Megan E. Patrick and John E. Schulenberg; 11. Impact of the recession on family dynamics and youth wellbeing: findings from the German Family Panel (Pairfam) Sabine Walper and Stefan Friedrich; 12. Employment and family transitions in the UK: trends before and after the Great Recession Mark Lyons-Amos and Ingrid Schoon; Part V. Future Orientations and Wellbeing: 13. Economic recession and youth achievement orientations and behaviour Jeylan T. Mortimer, Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson and Arnaldo Mont'Alvao; 14. The recession, young people and their relationship with the future Carmen Leccardi; 15. The impact of the recession on young people's satisfaction with democratic politics Jan G. Janmaat; 16. The Great Recession, health and health inequalities of adolescents in North America, Europe and Israel Timo Kolja Pförtner, Frank J. Elgar, Katharina Rathmann and Matthias Richter; 17. Impact of the Great Recession on young adults' health: the significance of social class Shannon Cavanagh; Part VI. Conclusion: 18. Insights gained on the recession effects John Bynner, Glen Elder, Walter Heinz and Ingrid Schoon.

Editorial Reviews

Advance praise: 'Building on Glen H. Elder Jr's 1974 classic Children of the Great Depression, Schoon and Bynner's volume underscores the importance for understanding human development of the concepts of agency and of linked lives in time and place. Drawing on longitudinal data from three nations, the chapters in this timely and significant work provide a unique treatment of youth development in the wake of the 2008 Great Recession and creatively advance the scholarly literatures of life-course and life-span developmental science.' Richard M. Lerner, Tufts University, Massachusetts

Advance praise: 'Given the challenges arising from political transformations and socioeconomic crises at the beginning of the twenty-first century, this book on how young people negotiate emerging adulthood is long overdue. It is a must-read for every scientist and practitioner interested in pathways to adulthood and their cultural, social, and personal variation, as well as a source of insight for every policy maker involved in helping to avoid a lost generation of young people.' Rainer K. Silbereisen, International Union of Psychological Science

Advance praise: 'This outstanding, must-read volume chronicles how young people around the globe are coping with the most devastating economic crisis since the Great Depression. Using top-notch research, renowned experts describe how the consequences of this event are penetrating all aspects of young people's lives and affecting their future educational prospects, employment, health, and social relationships.' Barbara Schneider, Michigan State University

From the Publisher