Work Experience and Control Orientation in Adolescence

Adolescent orientations toward and expectancies about competent action are important predictors of adult attainment. Using panel data, this study shows that part-time work experiences and mastery orientation are reciprocally related among adolescents. Prior control orientation, measured by Pearlin&#...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican sociological review Vol. 56; no. 5; pp. 597 - 611
Main Authors Finch, Michael D., Shanahan, Michael J., Mortimer, Jeylan T., Ryu, Seongryeol
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC American Sociological Association 01.10.1991
Subjects
Academic Aspiration
Adolescence
Adolescents
Adulthood
Adults
Boys
Careers
Children & youth
Control
Education Work Relationship
Employment
Girls
Grade 10
Grade 9
Grade point average
High School Students
High Schools
Locus of Control
Longitudinal Studies
Mastery Orientation
Minnesota (Saint Paul)
Occupations
Panel data
Parents
Part Time Employment
Performance appraisal
Self Concept
Sex Differences
Social psychology
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Stress Variables
Work
Work Experience
Work orientations
Youth
Youth Employment
Youth problems
Minnesota (Saint Paul)
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Summary:Adolescent orientations toward and expectancies about competent action are important predictors of adult attainment. Using panel data, this study shows that part-time work experiences and mastery orientation are reciprocally related among adolescents. Prior control orientation, measured by Pearlin's mastery scale, significantly influenced the character of boys' and girls' subsequent work experiences. Furthermore, extrinsic conditions and stressors at work were found to affect adolescents' control orientation. For boys, conditions of opportunity at work had a significant positive effect on tenth-grade mastery, whereas conflicts between school and work fostered a more external control orientation. Boys' educational plans for the future moderated the effects of conflict between school and work. Girls' evaluations of their pay were found to support an internal control orientation; however, responsibility for things that were perceived as being beyond their control engendered a more external control orientation.
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ISSN:0003-1224
1939-8271
DOI:10.2307/2096082