TY - JOUR
T1 - Early work as a source of developmental discontinuity during the transition to adulthood
AU - Mortimer, Jeylan T.
AU - Staff, Jeremy
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - From a developmental perspective, work has been considered as both a deleterious and salutary experience. According to one prominent view, part-time work places adolescents at risk because it limits participation in more developmentally beneficial activities and confronts them with stressors for which they are not yet ready. If this were the case, teenage part-time work would be "stress sensitizing," lowering thresholds of reactivity to subsequent stressors and increasing the risk of poor young-adult mental health. As a result, early work experience could interfere with adequate preparation for adulthood. A more optimistic perspective, shared by some social scientists and most parents, is that employment for the young person signifies progress in moving toward adulthood and promotes adaptation to the work environment. Challenges at work are considered to be "steeling," fostering coping resources that alleviate the detrimental effects of subsequent stressors, especially those encountered in the workplace. These processes would promote resilience and psychological well-being in early adulthood. This research examines these alternatives, using data from the Youth Development Study (1988-2000) covering the period from adolescence (age 14-15) to early adulthood (age 26-27). The analysis indicates that the character of their teenage work experience is a source of resilience as young adults make the transition from school to work.
AB - From a developmental perspective, work has been considered as both a deleterious and salutary experience. According to one prominent view, part-time work places adolescents at risk because it limits participation in more developmentally beneficial activities and confronts them with stressors for which they are not yet ready. If this were the case, teenage part-time work would be "stress sensitizing," lowering thresholds of reactivity to subsequent stressors and increasing the risk of poor young-adult mental health. As a result, early work experience could interfere with adequate preparation for adulthood. A more optimistic perspective, shared by some social scientists and most parents, is that employment for the young person signifies progress in moving toward adulthood and promotes adaptation to the work environment. Challenges at work are considered to be "steeling," fostering coping resources that alleviate the detrimental effects of subsequent stressors, especially those encountered in the workplace. These processes would promote resilience and psychological well-being in early adulthood. This research examines these alternatives, using data from the Youth Development Study (1988-2000) covering the period from adolescence (age 14-15) to early adulthood (age 26-27). The analysis indicates that the character of their teenage work experience is a source of resilience as young adults make the transition from school to work.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0954579404040131
DO - 10.1017/S0954579404040131
M3 - Article
C2 - 15704827
AN - SCOPUS:17944374468
SN - 0954-5794
VL - 16
SP - 1047
EP - 1070
JO - Development and Psychopathology
JF - Development and Psychopathology
IS - 4
ER -