Transitions in the context of intergenerational relations

This chapter examines transitions into adulthood in the context of intergenerational relations. The focus is on young people’s perceptions of how familial relations inform, support or constrain their transitions in education and working life. This perspective goes beyond treating young people as a generation defined by their age and shared societal circumstances. Instead, intergenerational relations and structures are highlighted as a central context where feasible futures are imagined and both material and cultural class advantage and disadvantage transmitted. The specific focus in this chapter is, firstly, on young people with working-class backgrounds who often anticipate a working-class career for themselves; and secondly, on young people on the margins who struggle with finding a place in education or working life. The experiences of transitions and familial relations, intergenerational changes and continuities are explored by drawing upon qualitative datasets produced in Finnish research projects that utilize biographical and cross-generational perspectives.