Young adults of the Great Recession: individual and historical times, present and future biographies

Young people are particularly vulnerable to precarious labour. This story has been told by statistical data from the National Statistics Institute and Eurostat and by (official or otherwise) “last in, first out” policies. It happens in a context of increased access to higher education and qualification levels that, together with the changes in the labour market and the effects of the recession, contribute to disappointed expectations of social mobility based on educational attainment. Young people find themselves caught between the goals of survival, work and a career. The new, less visible mass manifestations of “non-extreme” social exclusion delay and seriously constrain the transition to adulthood. This paper provides evidence, based on 52 interviews with young adults and a selection of 3 cases, for the political and statistical invisibility of these new manifestations of precariousness

Individualized Housing Careers in Early Adulthood: Conditions and Constraints in a Familistic Society

WOS:000284953400008 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)This article discusses the unsteady and uncertain conditions in which a potentially individualized life course co-exists with and survives in a so-called institutionalized, standardized, familistic and sub-protective society. For the purpose, non-family living in early adulthood in a southern European country (Portugal) is taken as the example. On one hand, data from the 2006 European Social Survey (23 countries, N=43000) is used to contextualize the Portuguese transition to adulthood and the preconceptions about the so-called familistic societies in general. On the other hand, data on events and values from a small sample of young adults living alone in Portugal (aged 24-30, N=120, approximately 1% of the universe considered), along with official statistics on a housing programme for these young adults (Rental Incentive for Young People), allows us to analytically deconstruct preconceptions about the relation between intergenerational support and welfare policies in familistic societies. This data demonstrates most of all how a mismatch between the still-prevailing institutionalization of life courses in some societies and the reflexivity characterizing contemporary biographies produces critical points in young people's lives. It also demonstrates the adaptability of family cultures to these 'choice biographies' in comparison to the lack of adaptability of some youth policies, in particular those involving housing. These processes of mismatching and misunderstanding reflect and promote the inadequacy and inefficiency of communication between youth research and policy-making

Individualized Housing Careers in Early Adulthood: Conditions and Constraints in a Familistic Society

This article discusses the unsteady and uncertain conditions in which a potentially individualized life course co-exists with and survives in a so-called institutionalized, standardized, familistic and sub-protective society. For the purpose, non-family living in early adulthood in a southern European country (Portugal) is taken as the example. On one hand, data from the 2006 European Social Survey (23 countries, N=43000) is used to contextualize the Portuguese transition to adulthood and the preconceptions about the so-called familistic societies in general. On the other hand, data on events and values from a small sample of young adults living alone in Portugal (aged 24-30, N=120, approximately 1% of the universe considered), along with official statistics on a housing programme for these young adults (Rental Incentive for Young People), allows us to analytically deconstruct preconceptions about the relation between intergenerational support and welfare policies in familistic societies. This data demonstrates most of all how a mismatch between the still-prevailing institutionalization of life courses in some societies and the reflexivity characterizing contemporary biographies produces critical points in young people\'s lives. It also demonstrates the adaptability of family cultures to these \'choice biographies\' in comparison to the lack of adaptability of some youth policies, in particular those involving housing. These processes of mismatching and misunderstanding reflect and promote the inadequacy and inefficiency of communication between youth research and policy-making.Life Course, Individualization, Transition(S) to Adulthood, Non-Family Living

Organização do trabalho doméstico em casais do mesmo sexo

Em resposta ao predomínio da heteronormatividade nos estudos sobre o trabalho doméstico, este artigo explora a forma como este é organizado e distribuído em casais do mesmo sexo. Para esse efeito, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa qualitativa (20 entrevistas aos membros de casais homossexuais) em torno dos desequilíbrios, do processo de negociação, do nível de satisfação, e ainda da herança familiar genderizada na actual organização do trabalho doméstico. Concluiu-se que a ausência da diferença de sexo no casal contribui para uma mais flexível e paritária negociação da organização das tarefas. Reflexo da socialização de género, as mulheres tendem para uma maior especialização e os homens para uma maior delegação das tarefas. In response to the predominance of heteronormativity in the studies on the household labour, this article explores the way it is organized and distributed in same-sex couples. Qualitative research was carried out on the basis of 20 interviews with members of homosexual couples, and informationwas collected on the imbalances, negotiation, satisfaction and gendered family legacy in the current organization of household labour. Results show that the absence of the sex difference between the members of the couple contributes to more flexible and egalitarian negotiation in the organization of chores. As a consequence of gender socialization, women tend to specialize and men to delegate

Reconfigurations and positioning of the concept of social mobility in the social sciences literature

Neste artigo analisa-se, através de uma análise bibliométrica, a evolução conceptual, disciplinar e metodológica da mobilidade social na literatura das ciências sociais. Para levar a cabo esta análise, foi desenvolvido um esforço de recenseamento das publicações diretamente sobre mobilidade social e construída uma base de dados onde estas foram codificadas por variáveis como o tipo de publicação, nacionalidade institucional do autor, conceito utilizado, unidade de análise, âmbito geográfico do estudo, metodologia, entre outras. Através do desenvolvimento de análises uni e bivariadas foi possível identificar e caracterizar as principais fases na evolução e nas oscilações deste conceito na literatura das ciências sociais; a emergência concentrada de um conceito disperso (c. 1920-1959); a idade de ouro (do conceito sociológico) da mobilidade social (c. 1960-1989); e a fragmentação, resistência e reconfiguração do conceito (c. 1990-2012), caracterizados por diferentes hegemonias metodológicas e geográficas, por variáveis fluxos e volumes de publicação, e por distintas correntes e rivalidades teóricas. Tendências recentes revelam complexas proximidades do conceito à disciplina da economia e ao conceito das desigualdades sociais.Through a bibliometric analysis, this article analyses the conceptual, disciplinary and methodological evolution of social mobility in the social sciences literature. To carry out this analysis, an effort towards a census of the publication directly about social mobility was made. A database was consrted including these documents, that were coded according to the following variables: type of publication, institutional nationality of the authorship, concept used, unit of analysis, geographical scope, methodology, among others. Univariate and bivariate analysis provided the means to the identification of three stages in the evolution of this concept in the social sciences: the emergence of a scattered concept (c. 1920-1959), the golden age of social mobility (c. 1960-1989), and the fragmentation, resistance and reconfiguration of the concept (c.1990-2012) characterized by different methodological and geographical hegemonies, by variable fluxes and volumes of publications, and by distinct theoretical traditions and rivalries. Most recent trends show intricate proximities of this concept to the discipline of economics and to the concept of inequalities

3.4.7.4.0.0: os artistas de circo. Entre a família e o grupo profissional

O grupo profissional é apenas um de três eixos identitários através dos quais, par da itinerância e da origem familiar circense, as pessoas de circo manipulam o seu grau de pertença ao circo. As relações de aprendizagem profissional, de trabalho e de parentesco sobrepõem-se e é nesse sentido que a reprodução do saber fazer circo, isto é, do grupo profissional dos artistas de circo, ocorre quase única e exclusivamente através da socialização familiar. Desta forma, para as pessoas de circo, ser artista de circo em Portugal pode significar muito mais ou muito menos do que ter um número de espectáculo em pista.There are three essential tools by witch circus persons state their belonging to the circus the itinerary, the family and the professional activity. The relations of professional learning, of work and of kinship are closely related and in that sense the reproduction of the circus know how, that is, of the professional group of the circus artists, occurs almost exclusively through family socialization. Being a circus artist in Portugal does not mean necessarily having a stage performance, at least for the so-called circus persons

Transição biográfica inacabada: transições para a vida adulta em Portugal e na Europa na perspectiva do curso de vida

As mudanças sociais no curso de vida durante o período de transição para a vida adulta, especialmente na esfera que tende a ser mais esquecida - a habitacional - constituem o objecto de estudo desta tese. Para o abordar, atravessa-se a variada paleta metodológica proposta pela perspectiva do curso de vida, usando escalas e instrumentos de análise entre uma perspectiva macro, baseada em dados quantitativos retirados de inquéritos representativos de vários países europeus sobre o timing e a ocorrência dos eventos de transição (neste caso o European Social Survey 2006); e uma perspectiva micro que, usando dados qualitativos, de fonte primária, de entrevistas de carácter biográfico e da aplicação de calendários de vida, permite abordar fenómenos em que a intencionalidade da acção, a adaptação estratégica e a reflexividade assumem uma maior importância. A comparabilidade entre países e coortes etárias foi posta em prática na análise das sequências das transições e da desestandardização do curso de vida, bem como da heterogeneidade, ao longo do tempo e do espaço, do ritmo com que ocorre a (primeira) saída de casa dos pais. Através dos dados recolhidos junto de 52 jovens, resultado de entrevistas de carácter biográfico e de aplicação de calendários de vida, analisou-se igualmente a sincronização das trajectórias residenciais com as das restantes esferas da vida, bem como os redireccionamentos do curso de vida, os chamados “turning points”, sublinhando, desta forma, o carácter holístico da transição para a vida adulta.The social changes in the life course during the period of transition to adulthood, namely the ones that occur in the most forgotten sphere of transition, the residential one, were the main topic of this research. To approach this topic, this thesis crosses the diversified methodological palette proposed by the life course perspective, one that goes from a macro perspective, based in quantitative data from large scale surveys, representative of several European countries (such as, in this case, the European Social Survey 2006), to a micro perspective that by being based in qualitative data from a primary source, biographical interviews and life calendars, makes the analysis of phenomenon where the intentionality of the action, the strategic adaptation and the reflexivity assume a greater importance, possible. The comparability between countries and cohorts was present in the analysis of the sequences of the transitions and of the destandardization of the life course, as well as of the heterogeneity, across time and space, of the leaving home transition. Through data collected among 52 young adults, with biographical interviews and life calendars, the synchronization of the residential trajectories and the moments of re-directing the life course, the so-called turning points, where also analysed. This strategy underlined the holistic character of transitions to adulthood

Autonomia habitacional não conjugal na Europa: Portugal e Finlândia

No âmbito da temática da autonomia habitacional não conjugal enquanto indicador simbólico da transição para a vida adulta, o presente working paper pretende ilustrar o potencial comparativo e analítico dos dados do European Social Survey – 2004, apresentando uma primeira análise comparativa entre dois países com perfis díspares de conquista de autonomia habitacional não conjugal: Portugal e Finlândia. Tal análise contempla algumas das variáveis que mais fortemente concorrem para a contextualização da disparidade das trajectórias para a vida adulta nestes dois países.Circumscribed by the thematic of non marital residential autonomy as a symbolic indicator of the transition to adulthood, this working paper aims to illustrate the comparative and analytical potential of the European Social Survey – 2004 data, by presenting a first comparative analysis between two countries with different paths to non marital residential autonomy: Portugal and Finland. This analysis contemplates some of the most important variables to the contextualization of this disparity of trajectories to adulthood in these two countries

Carreiras e eventos na idade jovem-adulta: uma análise exploratória dos percursos para a 'adultez'

Este paper é fruto de uma pausa dedicada ao trabalho de campo em curso e representa uma reflexão sobre os conteúdos recolhidos e os instrumentos metodológicos a eles dirigidos, mais precisamente sobre o potencial analítico da perspectiva do curso de vida. As 28 entrevistas realizadas a jovens adultos dos 24 aos 32 anos são analisadas no que se refere à intersecção das carreiras habitacionais, amorosas e profissionais, através essencialmente da análise da sobreposição, densidade e sequência dos vários eventos transicionais para a adultez. Os discursos destes jovens e a forma como justificam as suas opções de vida atribuem sentido a este olhar quantitativo para as biografias.This paper is the result of a pause taken from the ongoing work field and represents a reflection on the collected material and the methodological instruments that are applied to them. More accurately, it explores the analytical potential of the life course approach. The 28 interviews to young adult with ages from 24 to 32 are analysed in what concerns the intersection of their residential, conjugal and professional careers. For that effect, the analysis of the overlapping, density and the sequence of the events were carried out. The narratives of these young adults give shape to the decisionmaking processes in their lives, and provide sense to this analysis of biographies with a quantitative approach