Anticipatory socialization is the process of gaining knowledge about work that begins in early childhood and continues until entering the workplace full-time. On self-administered questionnaires, 64 high school students answered open-ended questions about what they have learned about work from five sources: parents, educational institutions, part-time employment, friends, and the mass media. Responses were coded into four macro categories (general requirements of a job, positive aspects of work, negative aspects of work, advice or information about work/jobs), each of which included multiple subcategories. Parents, school, and part-time jobs were respondents’ main sources of knowledge about the requirements of performing a job, and parents provided the most advice about jobs and careers. Parents and friends communicated more negative than positive aspects, part-time jobs and the mass media conveyed both positives and negatives, and educational experiences conveyed neither. Interpretations of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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