Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Effects of the Law on Precarity among Youth

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Youth who experience precarity in living arrangements and life experience may have difficulty in the transition to adulthood and in achieving economic stability in later years. Some youths are more subject to precarity than others, thus allowing study of how laws and their interpretation may promote or deter positive outcomes in this population. In addition, policies relevant to this precarity have changed over time, and/or their interpretations have changed, thus creating a natural experiment. This is an under-studied aspect of the transition to adulthood, thus motivating the project that will portray these varied experiences. The project will shed light on how interpretations of laws and the laws themselves can be significant factors in easing the transition to adulthood, or reducing the likelihood of successful assumption of productive adult roles. Findings from the project will help inform state and federal policies to better support youth transitions to adulthood. This project will use participant observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews to highlight the processes and mechanisms through which some youths more or less easily navigate precarious environments. The project will conduct interviews with 30 youths who experience some degree of precarity, as well as with 30 adults charged with helping them navigate the transition to adulthood. The project will also conduct an additional 25 interviews with state actors assisting in these transitions. Participant observation over a period of several months will allow inferences regarding the variety of contexts relevant to the transition to adulthood for youths subject to precarity. Re-interviews with a subset of youths at a second time point will allow inferences regarding how the relevant processes evolve over time, as well as analysis of key outcomes that have occurred during the interval. Qualitative analyses using Atlas.ti will permit iterative coding of the interview and observational data, allowing both deductive and inductive approaches. Findings will inform key literatures on the sociology of law, the role of state supports of youth, and the transition to adulthood. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.