Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

Youth has changed significantly in the course of a generation and the experiences of young people are different from those of their parents. The period of economic dependence has been extended and the role of the state in social protection has been transformed, as more emphasis has been placed on the responsibilities of parents. The perceptions and impact of these changes are likely to vary between social groups, but there has been little research done to explore this. The project examined beliefs and practices surrounding economic dependence and independence in youth, and perceptions of the respective roles of the family and the state, through in-depth interviews with young people and their parents. Seventy young people (aged 16-25) in different groups (students, unemployed and employed, trainees and young parents) were interviewed in 2001 in two contrasting areas of England, the Potteries (around Stoke-on-Trent) and the Cambridge area, and the parents of 30 of these respondents were interviewed the following year; 98 of the 100 interviews are held at the UKDA. The resulting data include information about the aids and barriers affecting young people's transitions to adulthood, and particularly the importance of various forms of family support. The research extends knowledge about the family lives of young people, and is of particular value to those concerned with policy and provision for young people and their parents.

Main Topics:

The main topics covered included: transitions to adulthood; parental and state support; emotional and economic support; dependence; generational change.

Purposive selection/case studies

Face-to-face interview