Pathways to adulthood: Developmental tasks, financial resources and agency

221 Pages·2015·3.28 MB·English

by  Ranta, Mette

JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH
527
Mette Ranta
Pathways to Adulthood
Developmental Tasks, Financial
Resources and Agency
JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH 527
Mette Ranta
Pathways to Adulthood
Developmental Tasks, Financial
Resources and Agency
Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston yhteiskuntatieteellisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella
julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston vanhassa juhlasalissa S212
kesäkuun 16. päivänä 2015 kello 12.
Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of
the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Jyväskylä,
in building Seminarium, auditorium S212, on June 16, 2015 at 12 o’clock noon.
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
JYVÄSKYLÄ 2015
Pathways to Adulthood
Developmental Tasks, Financial
Resources and Agency
JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH 527
Mette Ranta
Pathways to Adulthood
Developmental Tasks, Financial
Resources and Agency
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
JYVÄSKYLÄ 2015
Editors
Timo Suutama
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä
Pekka Olsbo, Ville Korkiakangas
Publishing Unit, University Library of Jyväskylä
Cover picture: graphic designer Päivi Talonpoika-Ukkonen, Koroste
URN:ISBN:978-951-39-6227-2
ISBN 978-951-39-6227-2 (PDF)
ISBN 978-951-39-6226-5 (nid.)
ISSN 0075-4625
Copyright © 2015, by University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä 2015
ABSTRACT
Ranta, Mette
Pathways to adulthood: Developmental tasks, financial resources and agency
Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2015, 124 p.
(Jyväskylä Studies in Education, Psychology and Social Research
ISSN 0075-4625; 527)
ISBN 978-951-39-6226-5 (nid.)
ISBN 978-951-39-6227-2 (PDF)

This research focused on young Finnish adults’ personal financial situation and
individual agency across young adulthood and their concurrent and longitudinal
effects on key developmental tasks related to career and social relations as well as
life satisfaction development. Furthermore, the separate studies analyzed transi-
tions of 18–25-year-olds in the context of the global economic downturn that has
been taking place since 2008. The key theoretical perspective was the life course
theory (Elder, 1998) and multidisciplinary frameworks addressing the notion of
agency. The research had three aims: to examine how financial resources influence
youth development and life satisfaction; to give an overview of life situations and
multifaceted transitions in the midst of personal and societal change; and to explain
the role of agency in managing financial issues and developmental tasks. The re-
search used data from the Finnish Educational Transitions Studies (FinEdu) longi-
tudinal research project; specifically, questionnaire data on young adults aged 18 to
25. The quantitative analyses used variable- and person-oriented approaches. The
results showed that individual agency, indicated by the use of achievement ap-
proach strategies and social approach strategies, was especially important in shap-
ing life course transitions, success and satisfaction regarding developmental tasks
at age 25, especially concerning use of social strategies. Participants’ financial situa-
tion improved on an objective level from age 20 to 25, but the subjective perception
did not; furthermore, financial issues did not have an effect on success and satisfac-
tion regarding developmental tasks. The results also showed that there was no
change in life satisfaction during the educational transition from general upper
secondary school to further education and/or employment, but the analyses re-
vealed a significant heterogeneity among the young adults’ life satisfaction reflect-
ed in five life satisfaction trajectories. A high level of agency at age 19 was related
to having a high life satisfaction trajectory, as was higher subjective financial situa-
tion at age 22. The results also showed that the highest frequency categories and
profiles of personal goals and concerns at ages 20 and 23 were in the career domain,
comprised of education, work and finances, with education prioritized at age 20
and work at age 23; romantic relationships were less frequent. The goal profiles
were associated with related life status cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and to
personal concerns – especially in the career domain.

Keywords: transitions, life course, career, agency, life satisfaction, financial situa-
tion, independence, longitudinal study, quantitative research methods
Author’s address Mette Ranta
Department of Psychology
University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Institute of Behavioral Sciences
University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 3A), #260
FI-00014 University of Helsinki
[email protected]

Supervisors Professor Katariina Salmela-Aro
Department of Psychology
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
CICERO Learning
University of Helsinki, Finland

Professor Raija-Leena Punamäki
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
University of Tampere, Finland

Professor Terhi-Anna Wilska
Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy
University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Reviewers Professor Marlis Buchmann
University of Zurich, Switzerland

Professor Emeritus Hannu Perho
University of Eastern Finland, Finland

Opponent Professor Marlis Buchmann
University of Zurich, Switzerland
TIIVISTELMÄ (FINNISH ABSTRACT)
Ranta, Mette
Polut aikuisuuteen: Kehitystehtävät, taloudelliset resurssit ja toimijuus
Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2015, 124 p.
(Jyväskylä Studies in Education, Psychology and Social Research
ISSN 0075-4625; 527)
ISBN 978-951-39-6226-5 (nid.)
ISBN 978-951-39-6227-2 (PDF)

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin 18–25-vuotiaiden nuorten aikuisten henkilökohtaista
taloudellista tilannetta ja yksilöllistä toimijuutta varhaisaikuisuuden aikana ja niiden
samanaikaisia sekä pitkittäisiä vaikutuksia uraan ja sosiaalisiin suhteisiin liittyviin ke-
hitystehtäviin sekä elämäntyytyväisyyden kehitykseen. Tutkimuksessa myös analysoi-
tiin nuorten aikuisten siirtymävaiheita kansainvälisen taloustaantuman aikana vuodes-
ta 2008 lähtien. Perustana olevina teoreettisina lähtökohtina olivat elämänkulun näkö-
kulma (Elder, 1998) ja toimijuuden monitieteelliset teoreettiset viitekehykset. Tutki-
muksella oli kolme yleistä tavoitetta: tarkastella taloudellisten resurssien vaikutusta
nuoruuden kehitykseen ja elämäntyytyväisyyteen, antaa yleiskatsaus elämäntilanteista
ja monitahoisista siirtymävaiheista henkilökohtaisen sekä yhteiskunnallisen muutok-
sen keskellä ja selvittää toimijuuden roolia taloudellisen tilanteen ja kehitystehtävien
hallinnassa. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin Finnish Educational Transitions Studies (FinE-
du) -pitkittäistutkimusprojektin kyselylomakeaineistoa, joka oli kerätty 18–25-
vuotiailta lukiotaustaisilta nuorilta aikuisilta. Kvantitatiiviset tutkimusmenetelmät
noudattivat sekä muuttuja- että henkilöorientoitunutta lähestymistapaa. Tulokset
osoittivat, että yksilöllinen toimijuus, mitattuna suoritusstrategioiden ja sosiaalisten
strategioiden käytöllä, on erityisen tärkeää elämänkulun siirtymävaiheiden ja kehitys-
tehtävien saavuttamisen sekä tyytyväisyyden kannalta 25 vuoden iässä. Erityisesti tä-
mä koskee sosiaalisten strategioiden käyttöä. Taloudellinen tilanne parani objektiivisel-
la tasolla 20 vuoden iästä 25 vuoden ikään, mutta subjektiivinen näkemys ei parantu-
nut. Taloudellisilla seikoilla ei ollut vaikutusta kehitystehtävien saavuttamiseen tai
tyytyväisyyteen. Tulokset osoittivat myös, ettei elämäntyytyväisyys muuttunut koulu-
tuksellisen siirtymän aikana toisen asteen lukiokoulutuksesta kohti jatkokoulutusta tai
työelämää. Sen sijaan analyysit, jotka paljastivat merkitsevän heterogeenisuuden nuor-
ten aikuisten elämäntyytyväisyydessä, johtivat viiteen eri elämäntyytyväisyyden kehi-
tyspolkuun. Korkea toimijuuden taso 19 vuoden iässä oli yhteydessä korkean elämän-
tyytyväisyyden kehityspolkuun, joka oli vastaavasti yhteydessä korkeampaan subjek-
tiiviseen taloudelliseen tilanteeseen 22 vuoden iässä. Lisäksi tulokset osoittivat, että
henkilökohtaisten tavoitteiden ja huolten frekvenssikategoriat ja profiilit 20 ja 23 vuo-
den iässä liittyivät useimmiten uraan eli koulutukseen, työhön ja taloudellisiin seik-
koihin – koulutus ensisijaisesti 20 vuoden iässä, työ 23 vuoden iässä ja parisuhde vä-
hemmän painotettuna. Tavoiteprofiilit olivat yhteydessä niihin liittyviin elämäntilan-
teisiin poikkileikkaus- ja pitkittäisnäkökulmasta sekä henkilökohtaisissa huolissa eri-
tyisesti uraan liittyvällä elämänalueella.

Avainsanat: siirtymät, elämänkulku, ura, toimijuus, elämäntyytyväisyys, taloudellinen
tilanne, itsenäisyys, pitkittäistutkimus, kvantitatiiviset tutkimusmenetelmät
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The final stage of the dissertation work includes writing the Acknowledge-
ments section, which is by no means an easy task. Although this dissertation is
a personal accomplishment, I am extremely thankful to a number of people
who have contributed to the completion of this work.
I would like to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to my supervi-
sors, who have made a significant contribution to the progress of this disserta-
tion as well as to my career as a whole. First of all, I would like to sincerely
thank Professor Katariina Salmela-Aro, the leader of the Finnish Educational
Transitions Studies (FinEdu) research project, for giving me the opportunity to
participate in her project, first as a research assistant back in 2005, from where
I progressed with the work on my Master’s thesis and eventually carried out
my doctoral work from 2010 onward. It has been a wonderful experience to be
part of the FinEdu team and Professor Salmela-Aro’s rich international aca-
demic network. Before my doctoral studies, I would have never believed that
my career as a researcher would progress along the path that has led to where
I am today. Thank you, Kata, for placing your trust in my potential and hav-
ing offered this opportunity to me, and for your excellent support and guid-
ance. I am also indebted to my second supervisor, Professor Raija-Leena
Punamäki, for opening the door to psychology and for encouraging me to get
into research, as well as for her endless support and encouragement, and her
commitment, supervision and detailed comments during the writing of the
first study of this dissertation and the final summary, in particular. I want to
thank you, Raiku, for always being there for me, for the stimulating and in-
sightful discussions that we have had, and for being the inspiring “haja-
mielinen professoritäti” that you say you are. I also want to warmly thank my
third supervisor, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of
Jyväskylä, Professor Terhi-Anna Wilska, for her valuable feedback and com-
ments during all stages of the dissertational work and especially for providing
crucial insights regarding the sociological perspective of the studies, as well as
for commenting on the second study and the final summary. The knowledge
and enthusiasm for research that these women portray have been important in
inspiring and motivating me toward my own research goals, and I have been
extremely fortunate to have had such exemplary mentors.
I would also like to sincerely thank the external reviewers of this disser-
tation – Professor Emeritus Hannu Perho and Professor Marlis Buchmann, the
latter of whom accepted the role of opponent for the public defense of this dis-
sertation – for their precious time and expertise and for their valuable com-
ments. I also thank Dr. Timo Suutama (Department of Psychology) for profes-
sional editing, Karl-Heinz Rademacker for language editing, and Päivi Talon-
poika-Ukkonen (Koroste) for the cover illustration of this dissertation.
I have been lucky to have gained valuable work experience at two uni-
versities during the past years; at my alma mater, the University of Jyväskylä,
and at my hometown university, the University of Helsinki. The work for this
dissertation has been conducted at the Department of Psychology of the Uni-
versity of Jyväskylä, and at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
(HCAS) and the Institute of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Helsinki. I
would like to express my gratitude to all involved institutions for kindly
providing me with the opportunity to carry out my research at both universi-
ties. I would especially like to warmly thank the Head of the Department of
Psychology, Professor Jari-Erik Nurmi, for having offered me a postgraduate
position at the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Re-
search, funded by the Academy of Finland, at the early stage of my doctoral
studies, and for giving me the freedom and trust to work independently on a
remote basis from Helsinki. At HCAS, I would like to thank the Director, Pro-
fessor Sami Pihlström, for providing an inspiring and international work envi-
ronment, and for enabling me to gain additional work experience as a research
assistant supporting numerous outstanding HCAS fellows.
This dissertation has also been financially supported by the postgraduate
positions I have been granted at the National Doctoral Programme of Psychol-
ogy (DOPSY) and the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School for Doctoral
Studies. I am immensely grateful to have also received personal grants from
the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Central Fund, the Research Foundation of
the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL), the Otto A. Malm Founda-
tion, as well as the Research Foundation of Finnish Savings Bank and the
Kluuvi Foundation.
At the Department of Psychology, I am thankful to Professor Kaisa
Aunola for having given me the early opportunity to work at the Department
in a summer job, almost ten years ago, and for her support and encourage-
ment as well as advice and comments concerning the analyses of the first
study. In addition, a big thank you goes to Professor Emeritus Esko Leskinen
and Professor Asko Tolvanen for their valuable statistical advice along all
stages of the dissertational work. I would like to especially thank you, Asko,
for your contribution as a co-author in the first study and for your patience
and clarity in explaining the statistical modeling I have struggled with so of-
ten. I am also happy to have met Adjunct Professor Noona Kiuru during the
summer job Kaisa offered me; you are a talented researcher whose work I ad-
mire greatly.
Overall, throughout the past years, I have been extremely lucky to be
able to work with the best colleagues a junior researcher could wish for. I am
greatly indebted to Dr. Angela Chow and Dr. Julia Dietrich, for contributing
to my dissertation in the form of the two studies we have conducted together
during their visits to Helsinki. You have both been important academic “big
sisters” to me and I would not have succeeded in progressing with my work
without your help and advice, especially at the early stage and during the
analyses of the studies. I also thank you for being wonderful role models as
researchers. I am so happy to have met you both and that we have become
such great friends.