Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie 48 (2023), 3

Transitions in adolescence are challenges having far-reaching consequences for later stages in life and are essential in reproducing or mitigating educational, economic, and social inequalities. Young people face challenges in various areas of life simultaneously, including education and training, identity formation, sexuality, social and political participation, and many other issues. Consequently, educational and school-to-work transitions research is highly relevant in various social science fields, including education studies, vocational training and labour-market entry, and social-inequality research.

While this research is usually highly specialised, a comprehensive analysis of the adolescent life stage considering different spheres of life is crucial to fully comprehend the structural conditions and youth agency. Moreover, the dynamics of transitions during adolescence have to be adequately understood. Longitudinal perspectives allow for analysing how challenges in adolescence become pressing during transitions, such as participation in the education system, undergoing developmental processes, and experiencing shifts in social expectations (Buchmann and Steinhoff 2017). This special issue draws on thematically comprehensive and mostly longitudinal research to present findings on educational and occupational aspirations, educational pathways, youth political participation, counselling and training measures, and leisure activities. Its research draws from longitudinal data from the “Pathways to the Future” project (Flecker et al. 2020; Flecker et al. 2023), which followed the paths of school leavers from the non-academic track of lower secondary schools in Vienna.