Abstract:
The present study has investigated the successful courses of education of young adults belonging to a low educated workers milieu. The research interest was to explore and analyse the successful courses of education in regard to the following questions: How did the young adults manage to accomplish a successful course of education despite a so-called ‘difficult starting position’? Which obstacles did they have to take in order to accomplish a successful course of education? And how did they handle these obstacles? Especially, the parental level of education and the belonging to a low educated workers milieu was distinguished as a ‘difficult starting position’. Therefore, the study has also turned its focus towards so-called risk factors on the successful courses of education as well as on so-called protection factors and empowerment structures which can represent a key function in the mastering process of stress and risk situations, and are able to moderate risk factors (Maier, 2005). Furthermore, they are able to support the development of an individual’s resilience. The study was con-ducted by using a triangulation of quantitative and qualitative research methods and a sup-plementary qualitative case group analysis.
The profit of the study is mainly due to the further strengthening of known theories of education research that promote equal opportunities in the German school and education system. Additionally, the study offers suggestions related to the development of specific measures to promote education for the study group. Particularly, the qualitative study provides insight on subjective and contextual prerequisites for the accomplishment of the successful courses of education of the study group by revealing subtle obstacles and coping strategies. These can primarily be summarized in an amplified take-over of the responsibility as well as the management of once own course of education, and its financing by the young adults. By conveying coping options as well as coping skills, especially, the assistance and support of secondary and tertiary socialization instances bear a key role in accomplishing the successful courses of education. The primary socialization instance – the family of origin – proved to be of less importance for the accomplishment of a successful course of education than the secondary and tertiary socialization instances. According to this, a low level of education of the family home as well as a background of immigration, or an immigration while being already in school, proved to be less of importance for the accomplishment of a successful course of education, if there had been a good information brokering and active support by secondary and tertiary socialization instances. Thus, putative deficits and risk factors of the origin environment and thus, milieu of origin could consequently be compensated with the help of outer socialization instances. From this, the conclusion can be drawn that a special weight in following a successful course of education of young adults from a low educated workers milieu befits the secondary and tertiary socialization instances.