175R_Whose choice? Young people, career choices and reflexivity re-examined (research summary)

Are you interested in how young people choose their careers?

Summary of the article titled Whose choice? Young people, career choices and reflexivity re-examined from 2015 by Jacqueline Laughland-Booÿ, Margery Mayall, and Zlatdo Skrbiš, published in the Current Sociology journal.

This is a great preparation for our next interviewee, Amelia Gaskill in episode 177 talking about the younger generation and their passion regarding the future of cities.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the next generation seems to choose their careers. This article presents how reflexivity is connected to choosing one’s career besides individualism and environment.

As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

Individual choice in career paths might not be entirely free as it is deeply influenced by one’s socio-economic background.
Reflexivity, the ability to critically assess and adapt one’s choices is often more pronounced among those from less privileged backgrounds.
Enhancing reflexivity and critical self-awareness across all socio-economic groups could improve the equity and authenticity of career choices among young people.

Find the article through this link.

Abstract: Young people making future career choices are doing so in an environment that often highlights the benefits supposedly wrought by individualisation and reflexive choice. It is argued that those who demonstrate reflexivity in their decision-making would have an advantage in the negotiation of future risks. The authors of this article agree with theorists who note that career choices are still strongly influenced by a person’s location in the class structure. However, unlike some writers who suggest youth from more privileged socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to evaluate risk and demonstrate reflexivity, the authors suggest the opposite. Interviews were conducted with young people aged 16–17 who are participating in an ongoing project designed to follow a cohort of young Australians from adolescence into later life. Our findings suggest that while a more privileged location may afford young people security from many potential risks and problems, this may in fact encourage a non-reflexive perspective and they may choose careers based on social norms rather than ability. Instead, we argue that it is young people from less privileged backgrounds who tend to demonstrate reflexivity in their career planning.

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:

No.112R - Engaging with place;
No.113R - Radical collaboration;
No.114 - Interview with Kelly Boucher about how to do pedagogy better to create agency

You can find the transcript through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠