Original scientific paper
Destined to Social Exclusion? Conditions and Quality of Life of High School Dropouts
Goran MILAS
orcid.org/0000-0002-7202-3338
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Ivana FERIĆ
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Vlado ŠAKIĆ
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Abstract
The article analyzes the differences in conditions and quality
of life on representative samples of young adults (aged 18 –
25) who have dropped out of school before high school
graduation (N=451) in comparison to those who have
successfully completed the high school education (N=1096).
The size and significance of differences were examined on
composite variables covering areas of employment, living
conditions, material resources, frequency of social contacts,
and subjective well-being, which can all be considered as
indicators of the umbrella construct of social exclusion. In
addition, structural modeling was used to test the suitability
of a hypothetical model which postulates causal relationship
between early school dropout and a series of unfavorable
social outcomes related to social exclusion. Results show
statistically significant and sizeable differences in the social
position between dropouts and high school graduates.
Depending on the specific indicator, the average dropout
falls into the category of 2 to 12% of socially most
endangered persons of comparable age. It was also shown
that the analyzed model, which assumes the dropout to be
the (direct or indirect) causative agent of adverse social
outcomes, explains well the empirical data. The
interpretations and implications of such results were further
discussed.
Keywords
dropout; youth; social exclusion; quality of life
Hrčak ID:
60109
URI
Publication date:
31.10.2010.
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