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

This book provides a dynamic and contextualized account of how young people's lives are shaped by economic instability and uncertainty.

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

9781107172975, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 November 2017

510 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 3 cm, 0.83 kg

'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

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], Economics [KC], Educational strategies & policy [JNF], Child & developmental psychology [JMC], Social research & statistics [JHBC], Sociology [JHB]