'And then decide what to do next…' Young people's educational and labour-trajectories: A longitudinal study from the Netherlands.

Abstract

In this article we present data from a longitudinal research project about young people's educational and labour trajectories. Data are derived from biographical interviews with 85 young people who were 16-19 years old in 1988 and in their twenties in 1997. The data show a great variety of trajectories as a result of decision-making processes during the transition from youth to adulthood over the years. Besides normal biographical trajectories all kinds of combination and switch trajectories are being realised by contemporary young men and women, demonstrating the increase of options as well as risks in modern societies. The various types of trajectories are related to the ideas of young males and females about the combination of work and family tasks. In reviewing our results, we discuss what kind of opportunities and risks are involved in the choices of young people.