International Conference on Youth Policy and

Research Vienna, 22 September 2009

Youth Transitions
to Adult Life and Family Formation

Siyka Kovacheva,
New Europe Centre,
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
 Main questions
• How do young people contribute to
social change with their actions while
making transitions to adulthood?
• How can policies empower the
agency of young people?
 Research results
• Up2Youth (2006-2009) – thematic
network
• CINEFOGO (2005-2009) – thematic
network
• Quality (2006-2009) – research project
• Transitions (2003-2006) – research
project
 Theoretical Framework
• Concepts of agency and social change in terms of
structured individualisation
• Young people as active agents in their transitions,
coping with biographical dilemmas, devising new
models of working and parenting and new
strategies for work-life balance
• The importance of social context – structural and
cultural changes in work and family
• Welfare regimes as a basis for comparison of
institutional structures
 Methods
• Secondary analysis in comparative
perspective based on reviews of
national and international research
• Analysis of European and national
statistics and policy documents
• Surveys with young people and
employees in service companies
• Interviews in depth and focus groups
with working parents
 Main findings I
• De-standardisation of youth
transitions
- prolongation of education
- multiplication of precarious jobs
- youth unemployment and underemployment
- decline in marriages and rise in divorce rate
- rise in cohabitation and single parenthood
- delay of parenthood
- delay of leaving the parental home
 Feelings of change and
insecurity
‘Previously it was all settled down in
one and the same way: you finished
studies, started work, had children,
looked after them at home for the
whole of the maternity leave, then went
back to work and took all the sick
leaves that your child needed… Now
the social state is gone.’
28-year-old mother of a 5-year-old child, focus group
participant, Transitions study
Destandardisation of youth transitions

Phases:

Compulsory scho
 Main findings II
• The dilemma of work-family balance
- Shift from strong or traditional male
breadwinner/female carer model through various
modifications to the egalitarian employment/caring
model and the role reversal model
- Contradictions between the ‘ideal employee’ and the
‘ideal mother’ (and ‘the new father’)
 Satisfaction with WFB
70

60

50

40
%
30

20

10

0
Source: Quality project, common data set
s

ia
y
y

l
en
d

UK

ga
nd

an

ar
an

ar
ed

rtu

ng
rla

lg
nl

Sw

Bu
er
Fi

Po

Hu
he
 Recommendations
• Young people should be treated as actors, not as victims
of social change (although some might fall into such
situations)
• More flexible policy measures allowing for choice and
space for negotiations
• Holistic, integrated policies which take into consideration
young people’s values, life plans, meanings of
participation
• Work-family policies specifically targeting gender equality
• More room and support for the involvement of youth
associations, trade unions and parental associations in
policy making
• Concerted efforts and awareness raising campaigns to
influence societal, organisational and individual values
Thank you for your attention.

For more details:

skovacheva@mbox.contact.bg