This volume made an important contribution to the growing literature on the transition from school to work. It provides a different perspective on the global changes that have transformed school-to-work transitions since the 1970s; offers an integrative conceptual framework for analysis; and promotes a comparative, cross-national understanding of school-to-work transitions in a changing social context. The articles assembled in this volume compare and assess variations in school-to-work transitions across Europe and North America, providing empirical evidence on how young people negotiate the different options and opportunities available and assessing the costs and returns associated with different transition strategies. Unlike many other volumes on this subject - which are pitched at either the macro or micro level - this volume attempts to integrate both perspectives, capturing the complexity of this critical life course transition. Furthermore, the authors address policies aimed at improving the capacity of individuals to make effective transitions and at enabling societies to better coordinate educational and occupational institutions.

Table of Contents:
Part I. Introduction: 1. Conceptualising school-to-work transitions in context Ingrid Schoon and Rainer K. Silbereisen; 2. Thinking about the transition to adulthood: from grand narratives to useful theories Michael Shanahan and Kyle Longest; Part II. Transitions and Global Change: 3. Is stable employment becoming more elusive for young men? Mary Corcoran and Jordan Matsudaira; 4. Youth outcomes in the labour markets of advanced economies: decline, deterioration, and causes Rebekka Christopoulou and Paul Ryan; 5. Uncertain and unable to commit: a 14-country comparison of the impact of globalization on the early life course Melinda Mills and Hans-Peter Blossfeld; Part III. Individual Decision Making: 6. It was not my choice, you know? Young people's subjective views and decision-making processes in biographical transitions Andreas Walther; 7. From paradigm to paradox: parental support and transitions to independence Gill Jones; 8. Job attitudes and job aspirations in a changing labour market: Germany, 1991-2006 Christian Ebner and Jutta Allmendinger; 9. Escaping the gender trap: young women's transition into non-traditional occupations Marlis Buchmann and Irene Kriesi; Part IV. Mapping Diversity and Change: 10. Polarization and diversity in the assumption of work and family related roles: evidence from two British birth cohorts Ingrid Schoon, Andy Ross, and Peter Martin; 11. Transitions to adulthood: linking late adolescent life styles to family and work status in the mid-20s Jessica Garrett and Jacquelynne S. Eccles; 12. Challenges of transitioning into adulthood Barbara Schneider; Part V. Interventions and Policies: 13. School related burnout during educational tracks: antecedents and consequences Katariina Salmela-Aro; 14. Building skills for positive developmental pathways and successful vocational careers in adulthood: intervention programs within the school context Karina Weichold; 15. Integrated transition policies for European young adults: contradictions and solutions Manuela du Bois-Reymond; 16. The future at work: labour market realities and the transition to adulthood Lynn Karoly.