Training needs and life planning in the new educational and social landscape: An empirical study with adolescents living in south-eastern sicily

• Orazio Licciardello ^[2] ; Loretta Eterno ^[1] ; Daniela Damigella ^[2]
  1. [1] Università degli Studi di Enna Kore

     Università degli Studi di Enna Kore

     Enna, Italia

     
  2. [2] University of Catani
• Localización: International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology: INFAD. Revista de Psicología, ISSN 0214-9877, Vol. 3, Nº. 1, 2011, págs. 585-592
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
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• Resumen

  • Adolescence is a period of physical and psychological changes, it is the potential background to develop a life planning coherent with their own values and aspirations.

    The reality of today, basically characterized by a strong discontinuity, a source of instability and insecurity, implies the need for flexibility characteristics that appear essential for the future of young people and for society.

    Uncertainty, typical of current realities, involves young people's identities, especially as regards the dimensions of the Self, Present and Future, "what I am" and "what will I be", or "what I fear to become ", those that Markus (Markus et al, 1986, 1990) has described as Possible Selves and which play an active role (Working Self), also in building the relationship with one’s own context life and future.

    This study explores the social representational framework in a sample of 360 adolescents living in South-Eastern Sicily in relation to: need of Education, Self, Work, Territory, Values systems, and Possible Selves articulation, in order to test the hypothesis that these dimensions are closely related.

    The Likert Scale, Values Schwartz Scale (2003) and Semantic Differentials were used.

    The data seem to confirm the hypothesis and underline the need for a better correspondence between the education received, personal expectations and the demands of the job market, as well as the learning of meta-skills useful to address the social background, characterized by an increasing flexibility, insecurity and instability. Attitudes of psychological distance emerge in relation to their own territory, both with regard to work and the present and the future social success.