Adolescent Work and the Early Socioeconomic Career

Abstract

Though formulated well before the life course paradigm had been generally accepted, the sociological theory of status attainment is, in essence, a life course model of the socioeconomic career. The central focus is on pathways of attainment. What do they look like? What are their precursors? What are the mechanisms through which they are produced? Elder’s (1998) principles of life course study are well illustrated by this paradigm as well as by the research it has inspired. Studies of the process of stratification clearly demonstrate the connections between earlier and later life events, the consequences of linked lives, career trajectories marked by key transitions, and the importance of human agency. In this chapter, we investigate a relatively neglected set of issues surrounding the place of early work experience in the early socioeconomic career. We describe the diverse features of adolescent work careers, the characteristics of young people who select into them, and the consequences of these pathways for early postsecondary education and full-time work. We consider whether various strategies of investment in early work pay off as youth complete school and enter the full-time labor force.*