the role of support structures
the narratives of lars,Henrik and Jonas are situated within three decades of employment and education policy. Lars, who completed upper secondary education in 1984,entered a labour market with a high level of unemployment. however, at that time social benefits were not contingent and self-motivating,and allowed him to pursue his interest and engage in grassroots activities while receiving social benefits. this practice supported Lars in choosing activities in which he experienced high levels of autonomy, competence and relatedness. Although this was only made possible through a lenient public benefit system,it supported an internal locus of control whereby Lars had a feeling of self-determination. Through participation in voluntary activities, Lars developed skills,gained experiences and developed networks which had profound consequences for the way his work life developed.