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Resources and (in(ter))dependence

Young people's reflections on parents

Elina Lahelma is professor at the Department of Education, University of Helsinki. Her research areas are sociology of education and women's studies in education. Jointly with Tuula Gordon, she has conducted contextualized ethnographic research in secondary schools and longitudinal life historical research on young people's transitions to adulthood. Currently she is responsible for a research project ‘Learning to be Citizens’ of the Academy of Finland, and her own focus is in transitions to upper secondary education. Address: Department of Education, P.O. Box 9, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. [email: elina.lahelma{at}helsinki.fi]

Tuula Gordon

Tuula Gordon is a professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Helsinki. Her research fields include youth studies, citizenship and nationality, feminist research, ethnography (with Elina Lahelma and Tarja Tolonen), longitudinal transitions study on young people's transitions into adulthood (with Elina Lahelma), education, qualitative methods and ethical issues. Address: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, P.O. Box 18, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. [email: tuula.gordon{at}helsinki.fi]

The lives of young people are lived in the context of social changes associated with neo-liberal politics. In neo-liberalism, individuals are considered autonomous units who steer their own futures, and the transition from youth into adulthood is understood as a change from dependence into independence from family ties. It has been assumed that autonomy is the endpoint of this development. Yet this approach has turned out to be too restricted. Several studies suggest that the family still remains a significant component in the social, educational, emotional and material lives of young people. Parents are important resources in young people's paths to adulthood.

In this article, we discuss changing reflections of young Finnish women and men on their relationships with their parents. We analyze parents as providers of material resources, as well as emotional and social ones, in order to facilitate the transition to adulthood. We suggest that whilst young people are willing to move from semi-dependence to independence in relation to material resources, in emotional and social terms they strive for interdependence. We came to know these young people in an ethnographic study when they began secondary school. This article draws from re-interviews with the same young people at the ages of 17–18 and 19–20.

Key Words: Finland • independence • interdependence • parents • transitions • young people

Young, Vol. 16, No. 2, 209-226 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/110330880801600205


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