The dreams they are a-changin’: Mixed-methods longitudinal research on young people’s patterns of orientation;

peer reviewedAt the end of secondary general track schooling, young people experience an important transition; in Austria, they have to decide on further schooling or vocational training. Aspirations shape this transition and decisions herein. In this contribution, we explore patterns in formation, change or stability of educational and occupational aspirations. Based on an exploratory longitudinal mixed-methods approach with adolescents aged about 14 years in wave 1, we untangle the multidimensional phenomenon of (educational and occupational) aspirations. We analyze three waves of qualitative longitudinal interviews and develop a typology of young people’s educational and occupational orientation processes over time. In a statistical analysis of three waves of the panel survey data with the same age group, we compare and integrate findings on stability and change of aspirations and analyze the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on these patterns. With this mixed-methods longitudinal design, we gain an in-depth understanding of young peoples’ thoughts, ideas and worries during this transitional phase. We also learn about the resources that shape the orientation process and related patterns in time. © 2023, The Author(s)

State of the Art on the Search for Sustainability and Quality of Life in Cities

The concept of sustainability appears simple but is difficult to define. It can be at once an idea, a lifestyle, a production mode, or a way of “consuming”. As John Huckle writes, “…Like liberty, justice and democracy, sustainability has no single and agreed meaning. It takes on different meaning within different political ideologies and programmes underpinned by different kind of knowledge, values and philosophy” (Huchle 1996

Sustainable Housing in the Urban Context: International Sustainable Development Indicator Sets and Housing

Housing, Indicators, Sustainable development, Sustainability indicators, Urban sustainability indicators, Housing and the environment, Quality of life,