Youth unemployment and the risk of social relationship exclusion: a qualitative study in a Chinese context

Unemployment experiences in context: A phenomenological study in two townships in South Africa

“…Additionally, it affects them in their roles as parent and as a community member (as they are seen as not contributing economically and perhaps as a liability) . The latter can cause them to withdraw from social interaction, which in turn can diminish ties to employed people who can provide potential links to job opportunities (see Sherman, 2013;Zeng, 2012) . Efforts of the unemployed to find alternative ways to secure an income were also reported in previous studies .…”

“…In contrast with what was found in most other qualitative unemployment research studies, the findings of the current study found hope and optimism among unemployed people in these two townships . A case in point are the qualitative studies on unemployment done in North America, Canada, UK, and China which did not report the existence of hope or optimism exhibited by any of their unemployed participants (Fowler & Etchegary, 2008;Giazitzoglu, 2014;Mckenzie, 2013;Nayak, 2006;Patrick, 2014;Sherman, 2013;Zeng, 2012) . It might be postulated that this might be something unique about the unemployed individuals in the Southern African countries .…”

The Impact of Unemployment on the Sexual Behaviour of Male Youth in Quzini, Eastern Cape, South Africa: A Qualitative Study

“…This study is underpinned by Jahoda's (1982) unemployment deprivation theory, which posits that when an individual is without a job or loses it, his/her social contacts decline drastically. Unemployed individuals with lack of financial support can potentially suffer a vicious circle of poverty and likely to encounter social exclusion (Zeng, 2012). Owing to deprivation and extreme poverty faced by majority of male youth especially in developing countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, this theory asserts that unemployed males tend to resort to squeegeeing (that is, washing of motor car windows while they stop at the intersections or robots) (Webb, Kerr, Li, Montaner, & Wood, 2008) or illegal acts which may include theft and drug dealing to generate income (Ferguson, Bender, Thompson, Macio, & Pollio, 2012).…”

“…However, in China, evidence emerged that parental support can potentially help unemployed male youth overcome poverty and joblessness (Zeng, 2012). Relational regulation theory (Lakey & Orehek, 2011) whose one of the key points is based on Bolwby's (1969) attachment theory, assumes that if male youth have families on whom to rely, even when unemployed, they are most likely to successfully adapt to stressful situation.…”

What we Know about Youth Employment: Research Summary and Best Practices

“…Limited social capital serves as a barrier to employment, and at the same time the depleting effects of unemployment on social capital of youth will be compounded over time. Zeng (2012), in an analysis of Chinese youth, showed how limited financial resources and face saving resulted in those who were unemployed being far more likely to limit their interactions to others in a similar situation. Although this type of social network within unemployed groups clearly provided invaluable emotional support, such contacts had a more limited value in supporting their job search process.…”