Participation in Transition
Motivation of Young Adults in Europe for Learning and Working 

PETER LANG - International Academic Publishers
Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien, 2006. 245 pp., num. fig. and tables 
ISBN 3-631-54593-2 / US-ISBN 0-8204-9810-6  pb.
€ 39.80* / US-$ 44.95 / £ 26.–

Order at www.peterlang.com

Across Europe there is an increasing consensus that individuals need to become more active in their
own social integration process. Participation in Transition focuses on young people’s motivation in their
transitions from education to work. Through an analysis of case studies the book provides empirical
insight into the transition experiences of young people and examines how different types of transition
policies affect motivation. The key objective is to examine whether and under what conditions the
principle of active participation is effective in re-motivating disengaged young people and argues that
mainstream approaches to activation remain ineffective as they neglect young people’s subjective
realities. The book adopts an innovative interdisciplinary approach that combines discrete research
and policy perspectives on the labour market, youth and citizenship as well as learning and motivation.
The study has been carried out in the framework of the European Group for Integrated Social
Research (EGRIS).

Contents: A. Walther/M. du Bois-Reymond/A. Biggart: Learning, Motivation and Participation in Youth
Transitions: theoretical perspectives · A. Walther: Regulating Youth Transitions: trends, dilemmas and
variations across different ‘regimes’ in Europe · T. Bechmann Jensen/B. Stauber: Researching Motivation
and Participation in Youth Transitions in a Comparative Perspective · M. Cuconato/A. Hayes/G. Lenzi/
A. Walther: ‘Soft’ and ‘Hard’ Policy Measures for Young People · W. Plug/M. du Bois-Reymond: Transition
Patterns between Structure and Agency · B. Stauber/A. Walther: Motivational Careers in Transition:
expectations, experiences, and changes · B. Stauber/A. Holmboe/T. Bechmann Jensen/G. Lenzi/C. Laasch/
P. Leahy/A. López Blasco/W. Plug/H. Seifert: Experiences of Self-determination. Case studies into
biographical effects of participatory practice · A. Pohl/M. du Bois-Reymond/P. Burgess/A. Holmboe/
A. Hayes/L. Iacob/J. Machado Pais/O. Marcovici/M. Santos: Learning Biographies. Case studies into
dimensions and prerequisites of competence development · A. Walther/A. Pohl/P. Burgess: Potentials
of Participation for Citizenship and Social Inclusion

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