NEGLIEV aims to investigate how negative life events, in combination with social inequality, contribute to marginalization among young adults.
Negative life events (NLEs) are known to have adverse consequences for health and life satisfaction, which in turn may affect educational and occupational outcomes. Although NLEs have been extensively studied across disciplines such as psychology, demography, and sociology, there is still a need for more research on the mechanisms linking NLEs to marginalization. In particular, more knowledge is needed about the interplay between NLEs and social background, for example socioeconomic resources and place of residence.
NEGLIVEV therefore asks the following overarching research question: “To what extent do negative life events in adolescence interact with social background, and how do they jointly affect marginalization among young adults?”
To address this question, the project examines: 1) how negative life events are related to adolescents’ social background, measured through families’ class-based economic and cultural resources as well as geographical location; 2) how negative life events affect adolescents’ chances of inclusion in education and employment; and 3) how negative life events affect the likelihood of marginalization among young adults from different social backgrounds.
In the pilot study, we will use register data (microdata.no) to establish an analytical design that identifies negative life events that can be regarded as somewhat more exogenous to individuals and families than other events. Some events are more random and unexpected than others, such as unexpected and premature deaths within the family.
The project aims to deliver: 1) an application to the Research Council of Norway for funding; 2) a pilot study, in the form of a peer-reviewed article, developing an appropriate analytical design for future studies; and 3) dissemination of insights from the pilot study through an opinion article, a workshop, and a seminar for practitioners.
This project is part of OsloMet's strategic research area Inclusion of More Children and Young People.
