Contemporary Adolescence Chapter 13 Work History of adolescent

Contemporary Adolescence Chapter 13: Work

History of adolescent work �Before 1900 �Pre-industrialized � Boys farmed in preparation to take over as adults � Girls worked in the home and with domesticated animals �Industrialization � Factories, mines, and processing plants � Higher amounts of injuries for adolescents � 20 th century �More focus on reducing child labor �Particularly after WW II, focus was on keeping adolescents in school

Work and adolescent development �Psychological functioning �Adolescents that work >10 hrs/wk: � � �Work is not necessarily a bad thing: � �

Work and adolescent development �Problem behavior �Adolescents who work long hours may already be prone to substance abuse and the more hours they work, the more substances they are at risk of using �Occupational deviance: acts committed in relations to the workplace, like stealing supplies

Pros and Cons of work Girls (%) Boys (%) Responsibility 90 80 Money management 66 57 Learned social skills 88 78 Work experience/skill develop 43 42 Work ethics 73 68 Independence 75 78 Time management 79 75 Learned about life 26 29 Less leisure time 49 49 Lower grades 28 25 Less time for homework 48 49 Think about work during class 78 11 Fatigue 51 45 Benefits Problems

Occupational choice �Development of occupational goals �Crystallization (14 -18 yrs): �Specification (18 -21): �Implementation (21 -24): �Stabilization (25 -35): �Consolidation (35 - ):

Occupational choice �Compromise with Reality Therapy �Fantasy stage �Tentative stage �Realistic stage

Influences on occupational goals �Personality characteristics (John Holland) �Realistic �Intellectual �Social �Conventional �Enterprising �Artistic

Other influences on occupational choice �Intelligence �Aptitudes and special abilities �Interests �Job opportunities �Salary �Prestige

Federal limits on 14 & 15 yr olds �Cannot work in manufacturing, processing, mining �Cannot work in transportation, construction, warehouse �Cannot use power-driven machinery �During school: �Cannot work during school hours �Cannot work more than 18 hours/wk �Cannot work more than 3 hours/day �Hours restricted to 7 am to 7 pm �During summer: �Cannot work more than 40 hrs/wk �Cannot work more than 8 hrs/day �Hours restricted to 7 am to 9 pm

Federal limits on 16 & 17 yr olds �Cannot work with hazardous materials �Cannot operate motor vehicles �Cannot work in most excavating or demolition jobs �Cannot work in mines �Cannot work in slaughterhouses

Volunteer work �Adolescents who volunteer: � � �Motivation can be individualistic as well as collectivistic �Generally, there is a positive effect both current and longitudinally for adolescents who volunteer