On the move. Young people balancing individual motivation and societal expectations when transitioning in everyday life and education

Youth is often experienced as a particularly complex phase, in which one is facing heightened demands to create meaning and make crucial life choices in a detraditionalized and individualized society (Brulius-Jensen & Sørensen, 2017). Late-modern living conditions offer liberation from traditional constraints such as gender and social class, enabling individual choices regarding identity and future life paths (Bauman, 2002; Beck & Beck-Gernsheim, 1995; Reckwitz, 2017). Many report insecurity about these decisions, and vulnerable groups face specific challenges in navigating transitions to adulthood (SFI, 2017; Pless & Görlich, 2018). Transitions are also socially and normatively framed, with some pathways considered “legitimate” and others “problematic” (Frederiksen & Dalsgaard, 2014). Youth transitions are thus shaped both by individual motivation and societal expectations (Shildrick & MacDonald, 2019). The research question is: How do young people experience the central transitions in their everyday- and educational life, and what significance do the transitions have for their future expectations?
Theoretical framework
Theoretically, the project is informed by Ulriksen, Madsen and Holmegaard (2019) and their distinction between narratives, horizons and repertoires. This approach is used to analyze how the young people try to create coherent and meaningful narratives about their choices and experiences on the basis of their repertoires, meaning the experiences, knowledge and resources they carry from one step to the next and ultimately the horizons, they imagine to be heading towards in their lives. Also Andreas Reckwitz’ (2017) concept of singularity and his notions of upbringing and schooling as programs of singularity is applied in the analysis of the young people’s trajectories and their striving towards self-realization.
Methodology/research design
In the study a small-scale qualitative and longitudinal approach is applied and 10 Danish informants are interviewed once a year over a five-year period, from the last year of lower secondary school to adulthood in the early 20s. The interview method used in the study is The Indirect Approach, developed by Norwegian researchers Geir Moshuss & Ketil Eide (2016). The Indirect Approach is an interview technique that is based on mutual dialogue rather than the informant's answers to the interviewer's pre-planned questions.
Expected results/findings
Across the pool of interviews, a common pattern emerges: young people actively construct meaningful daily routines and transitions by balancing personal interests, social interactions, and external obligations. This highlights the interplay between individual motivation and the structural conditions of late-modern youth life, where detraditionalization and individualization create both opportunities and constraints. Young people negotiate their everyday life and transitions by selectively engaging in activities that provide personal fulfillment and social recognition, reflecting the modern logic of pursuing singular trajectories while also adhering to normative expectations of “legitimate” (school-oriented) pathways into adulthood
Relevance to Nordic educational research
This study explores how young people exercise agency when balancing personal choices with societal expectations, offering contemporary insights relevant to researchers and educators interested in youth pedagogy and transitions.