This paper investigates the relevance of occupational value orientations for the status attainment process by looking at career choices of young persons. This topic is important as occupation is a central component of an individual’s personal identity as well as a main factor in determining peoples’ life chances. The study uses data from the youth questionnaire of the German Socio-economic Panel (SOEP) which includes a set of questions on occupational interests and values addressed at 17-year old teenagers. The longitudinal nature of the data is used to model job attainment of young people and the role values play in the process. Employing a latent modelling framework, four underlying dimensions or value orientations can be identified: intrinsic, extrinsic and social job orientations, as well as a fourth dimension which indicates the relative importance attached to occupation compared to other life areas such as the family. Relating these value orientations to young persons’ occupational aspirations it can be seen that intrinsic orientations are positively related to aspirations, while extrinsic orientations are negatively related to aspirations. Future employment status and occupation of young people is taken from succeeding waves of the SOEP. Specifically, occupational characteristics such as type of job, working hours and income are looked at as outcome variables. Findings indicate that social orientations are related to working in a social occupation later on, while the importance attached to occupation compared to other life areas is related to the weekly amount of hours worked. No effect of intrinsic or extrinsic orientations on income, prestige or work autonomy in the first job can be identified. The hypothesized impact of values on the career choice of teenagers is found therefore only for two of the four value dimensions.
Presented by:
Michael Weinhardt (Graduate Centre / SOEP, DIW Berlin, Germany)
Date & time:
April 20, 2011 12:00 pm - April 20, 2011 1:00 pm
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