Future-oriented identity formation among adolescents in various childhood environments, 2004

Identity and life meaning are in adolescence - particularly in the (post) modern age - a central existential challenge which should also be the welfare state's responsibility. The project considered adolescents as rational and choosing agents, constructing their own lives, with or against societal norms. Simultaneously adolescents are targeted and guided by strong social structures and influences, partly politically controlled (like school), partly controlled market (such as media, fashion, culture industry). The project asks how youth participation and projects at various venues in and outside of school is related to their future-oriented identity and learning activities. The project also asks what is attractive/repulsive at school compared to other venues, and in this context the role of outwardly focused school projects can play compared to more inwardly directed assignments and teaching. The project will follow the adolescents at up to 10 strategically selected Norwegian schools/classes in urban and rural, North and South Norway through a 5-year period, starting with year 9. We hope to reveal both variability and change, similarities and relationships between childhood environments and adolescent future-oriented learning and identity work. School actualization of school external social phenomena and venues, various venues' importance in youth identity-building, and the role of school projects can play in this context, are key questions in the survey.

身份认同与生命意义的探寻，是青少年时期——尤其是在后现代语境下——的核心存在主义命题，这同时也应是福利国家的职责所在。本项目将青少年视作具备理性决策能力的自主行动主体，他们既会顺应社会规范，亦可能悖逆社会规范以构建自身的人生轨迹。同时，青少年亦身处强大的社会结构与社会影响之中，受到规训与引导：其中一部分来自政治管控范畴（如学校），另一部分则受控于市场逻辑（如媒体、时尚与文化产业）。本项目旨在探究：校内外各类场域中的青年参与行为与实践项目，如何与其面向未来的身份建构与学习活动产生关联。本项目同时还将探讨两大议题：其一，相较于其他校外场域，学校环境具备哪些吸引力与排斥性；其二，在此语境下，相较于更侧重内部的教学任务与课堂活动，面向外部的学校实践项目将发挥何种作用。本项目将对挪威南北城乡地区经战略遴选的至多10所中学及其班级的九年级学生展开为期5年的追踪研究，研究起始于九年级阶段。我们希冀揭示童年成长环境与青少年面向未来的学习活动及身份建构实践之间的差异性、动态变化性、共性特征与关联模式。本次调研的核心研究问题包括：学校如何整合利用校外社会现象与场域资源、各类场域在青年身份建构中的重要性，以及在此语境下学校实践项目所能发挥的作用。