Taking Control? Agency in Young Adult Transitions in England and the 'New' Germany, 1999

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The question of whether there now exists a period of 'extended dependency' in young people's transitions is central to the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) research programme, 'Youth, Citizenship and Social Change'. The project 'Taking Control' aimed to understand how young adults experience control and exercise personal agency as they pass through extended periods of transition in education and training, work, unemployment and in their personal lives, in selected localities experiencing economic transformation in England and the 'new' (post-reunification of 1990) Germany. Through a combination of questionnaire survey and group interviews the study investigated how, in different ways, choice and uncertainty can be important dimensions in young people's biographies in contemporary societies. Their experiences and their futures are not exclusively determined by socialising and structural influences, but also involve elements of subjectivity, choice and agency. The research aimed to contribute to understanding of the process involved in becoming 'independent' and 'personally effective' in different settings and to involve researchers and users (young people, policy-makers and practitioners) in debate about the most effective ways to support transitions in early adult life.<br>
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While building on methodological approaches and findings of the award holder's previous Anglo-German research, this research was new and distinctive in its theme of control in the under-researched 'young adult' phase (up to age 25) and in the inclusion of the post-communist society of eastern Germany in the selected localities. This mixed methods data collection includes 20 transcripts from focus group interviews conducted in Derby, England, and Hanover and Leipzig in Germany, and a quantitative data file comprising responses to a self-completion questionnaire.<br><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>Topics covered in the focus group interviews include: control of own life; influences and constraints; influence on opportunities and quality of life for themselves and others.<br>
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Topics covered in the questionnaire include: background information; education and training and parental influence surrounding that; qualifications; employment and unemployment history; perceived constraints on achievement; financial situation; leaving home; perceived dependency on parents; self-esteem, control and decision making; economic activity; social attitudes and beliefs about success; skills, employment prospects and future plans; political and social participation; demographic characteristics.