St. Paul Youth Development Study (YDS)

The Youth Development Study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, has followed a cohort of youth from the 9th grade in high school to their mid-thirties. It continues to examine the consequences of work and other formative experiences in adolescence for the transition to adulthood, as well as the effects of experiences during this transition for mental health, socioeconomic attainment, social development, and multiple facets of behavioral adjustment. The research has important policy implications in view of the highly prevalent character of adolescent work and recent debates about the long-term significance of this trend for young people. A new initiative will examine how parental trajectories in education, work, social development, and pro- and anti-social behavior affects the attitudes and behaviors of children. The Life Course Center in the Department of Sociology maintains a paper series based on the YDS data archive.

Youth Development Study: Publications and Papers [pdf]