Workplace
Learning to behave appropriately with an occupation is fundamental aspect of human socialization. In the United States, working full time confirms adult status it is an indication to a hat one has passed out of adolescence, In a sense, socialization into an occupation can represent both a harsh reality("I have to work in order to buy food and pay the rent") and the realization of an ambition("I've always wanted to be an airline pilot") (w.Moore 1968:862)
it used to be that"going to work" began with the end of our formal schooling, but that is no longer the case, at least not in the United States. More and more young people work today, and not just for a parent or relative. Adolescents generally seek jobs in order to make spending money; 80 percent of high school seniors said little or none of what hey earn goes to family expenses And these teens rarely look on their employment as a means of exploring vocational interests or getting on the-job training.
Some observers feel that the in creasing number of teenagers who are working earlier in life and for longer hours are now finding the workplace almost as important a agent of socialization as school. In fact, a number of educators complain that student time at work is adversely affecting schoolwork. Figure 4-2 shows data from two international studies. The level of teenage employment in the United States, the highest among industrial countries, provide one explanation for why U.S high school students lag behind other countries in international achievement tests(R, Cooper 1998)