Abstract

The transitions from school to training and from training to work follow nowadays not a straightforward path, instead these biographies are coined by many temporary disruptions. When these transitions fail, the disconnectedness of adolescents and young adults from education, training, labor market and social environment is likely. This group of young persons that is disconnected from these institutions has got school to work careers that deviate significantly from normal biographical patterns.
The research project “Disconnected Youth" relies on a qualitative-reconstructive longitudinal analysis of the biographies and life plans of disconnected young persons. The study sites for this project are disadvantaged neighborhoods in the two cities, Worms and Ludwigshafen. Both cities are characterized by the traditional working class of the manufacturing sector. The research methodology for this study is based on narrative, biographical-oriented interviews and qualitative-reconstructive methods of social research. The objective is to figure out which reasons are responsible for the disconnectedness of young people and which determinants explain the reconnecting to school, training and work. What impact do exert phases of disconnectedness on further biographies? What is individual's perception of disconnectedness? The key question of the longitudinal analysis is what role have life plans and future plans of adolescents and young adults for their biographies and how do they implement this.