Parents and teens alike have favorable assessments of adoles-
cent employment, viewing it as an important site for vocational
development. Parents express considerable enthusiasm about their
own early jobs (Aronson, Mortimer, Zierman, & Hacker, 1996).
Many feel that what they learned served them well in adulthood,
including gaining a sense of responsibility and learning money man-
agement skills. Consistent with this positive evaluation of their
own early work experiences, parents also hold positive attitudes
about their own teenagers’ employment (Phillips & Sandstrom,
1990; Aronson et al., 1996). Parents believe that employment fos-
ters responsibility, independence, and good work attitudes and
habits, and that it teaches skills that adolescents would not learn in
school.
Adolescents also evaluate their employment experiences favor-
ably. Nearly all working adolescents in the St. Paul-based Youth
Development Study felt they benefited from their jobs, learning
responsibility and social skills (Aronson et al., 1996). Most adoles-
cents also felt their jobs helped teach them basic skills like follow-
ing directions and being on time. Such skills have the potential to
set young people on courses that will benefit them across their
working lives. However, only about one-fourth of the adolescents
felt their work experience had a direct influence on their career
choice. Although less commonly reported than the benefits, some
adolescents perceived costs to their employment, such as having
less leisure time and feeling tired.
Consistent with teens’ and parents’ perceptions, studies indicate
developmental gains for working adolescents, including higher
punctuality, personal responsibility and dependability, and (for girls
only) self-reliance (Greenberger & Steinberg, 1986). Other studies
point to the importance of the nature of the work experience for
vocational development rather than just working per se. Findings
from the Youth Development Study indicate that adolescents who
have opportunities for advancement, who perceive little conflict
between school and work, and who feel they are paid well increase
A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 55