Colleges, Careers, and the Institutional Structuring of the Transition to Adulthood

Life course theorists have variously focused on the role of culture, history, and social structures in shaping the life course, but rarely have they examined concrete social organizations. This chapter looks at how an important group of institutions - 2-year colleges - structures the transition to adulthood in the U.S. Using data from different types of 2-year colleges, we analyze their assumptions about and their impact upon the transition from school to work. With increasing numbers of young adults seeking workforce preparation from 2-year colleges, consideration of these institutions can offer valuable insights into the structuring of the transition from school to work specifically, and the transition to adulthood more generally.