Young People's Strategies for Handling Economic Adversity: Extending the Research Agenda. (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bolin, Anette
• Is Part Of: Young. Volume 24:Number 4(2016:Nov.)
• Page Start: 309
• Page End: 325
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: Economic adversity -- parents unemployment -- childhood -- children's agency -- children's strategies; Youth -- Research -- Periodicals; Youth -- Scandinavia -- Periodicals; Jeunesse -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Jeunesse -- Scandinavie -- Périodiques; Jeune; Mondialisation; Condition sociale; Recherche; Europe; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 305.242
• DOI: 10.1177/1103308816632125
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1103-3088

Abstract

As an extension of the research into strategies for handling economic adversity of young people in poor families, this study examines strategy use in the context of middle-income families affected by unemployment. Interviews with 39 young people in previously comfortably-off families where one or both of the parents had become unemployed were conducted. The purpose was to explore how, in a Swedish context, young people think about and respond to situations following a drastic reduction in family income. Results indicate that while the strategies used by these young people are generally similar to those in poor families, no use of avoidance-oriented strategies was found. This, it is argued, is because parental unemployment and financial adversity are not perceived as stigmatizing.