Wednesday 24 July 2013

The role of higher education in their life: Emerging adults on the crossroad

an article by Shu-Chen Chiang (National Taiwan Normal University) and Josh Hawley (The Ohio State University) published in New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development Volume 25 Issue 3 (Summer 2013)

Abstract

This study describes the experience of younger, so called “emerging” adults, as they transition to full-time work, focusing specifically on the role of education in this process.

When leaving their family-of-origin, emerging adults re-centre themselves to settle down in permanent identity and different role commitments. Our findings show that the weakening of institutional ties (like school) underlies the critical stage of emerging adulthood, particularly for the non-college bound group.

Education functions, however, as an avenue to upper levels of work as the non-college bound group come to grips with the challenge of obtaining good jobs. The process of job exploration and self-identification differentiates the stage of emerging adulthood from other stages in the life-span perspective, especially for those from low socioeconomic family.

In light of this, strategies to strengthen job exploration and self-identity through the education system are proposed.


No comments: