The theme of this volume, studies in macro-micro influences on children, in their pathways to adulthood is aimed at examining the points of intersect between individual and family level reactions to the socioeconomic forces buffeting all industrialised societies. The papers in this volume allow understanding of the larger context which children acquire their experience and capacities for growth.

The volumes in this series illustrate how social organization and private, emotional experience are different phases of the social process. They show the steps by which emotional experience is shaped by social structural, macro-level processes and how these processes are changed by experience.

The theme of this volume, studies in macro-micro influences on children, in their pathways to adulthood is aimed at examining the points of intersect between individual and family level reactions to the socioeconomic forces buffeting all industrialised societies. The papers in this volume allow understanding of the larger context which children acquire their experience and capacities for growth.

The volumes in this series illustrate how social organization and private, emotional experience are different phases of the social process. They show the steps by which emotional experience is shaped by social structural, macro-level processes and how these processes are changed by experience.

Using a sample of 324 young adults in four urban centres who left high school in the mid-1980s as well as interviews with representative parents, former teachers, and employers, the authors identify factors that ease transition from school to. These include level of education, social class, gender, ethnicity, aspirations of parents, help from role models, participation in co-op education, and most important of all, self-motivation. The authors describe a range of youth profiles -- uncommitted, non-careerists, conservatives, and innovators -- that will help youth, parents, and educators identify present development and how to improve performance. Emphasizing the importance of co-operative education, the authors suggest that closer relations between school and work, such as exist in the United Kingdom and Sweden, facilitate transition into the labour market. On Their Own will guide parents, youth, educators, trustees, employers, and ministries of education and training to prepare a new generation of productive, resilient workers and managers for success in the information age.