To Love and Work - Romantic and Occupational Identity in Early Adulthood

Abstract: The general aim of this thesis was to explore aspects of identity in early adulthood, namely occupation and romantic relationships, in the cultural context of Sweden in the 21st century. In order to explore narrative identity concerning occupation, Studies I and II examined narratives about occupational experiences, which were repeated across interview occasions by 59 early adults (ages 25, 29, and 33). Study I investigated identity content in the repeated narratives to determine which experiences continued to be part of the occupational identity across early adulthood. Participants repeated narratives that concerned: the birth of an interest that led to occupational orientation; outcomes of occupational exploration; having a compass for occupational direction; and passively ending up in an occupation. They also repeatedly narrated about external influence on their occupational choices. This study thus illustrates which experiences continue to be part of the occupational identity across early adulthood. Study II, in order to investigate the meaning of change in narrative identity concerning occupation, examined how repeated narratives changed across early adulthood. The results showed that, over time, early adults changed their repeated narratives about their occupational identity into stories about gained insights, transformed views on past challenges, and increased agency. Participants also added content that accentuated their competence and showed how their motivation for their present occupation had increased. Thus, the findings show how narrators create something new from their past experiences in order to continue to make sense of their lives. While Studies I and II investigated narrative identity concerning occupational experiences, Study III focused on romantic relationships. This study explored romantic identity content among 12 early adults, aged 33, who were in long-term relationships but did not select their partner as the most important person to them when they needed love and support. The results showed that these early adults’ everyday experiences of romantic relationships were characterized by ambivalence, a strive for independence, and relating to their partner as a person to have fun with rather than someone to share a deep connection with. Participants also expressed disagreement with what they perceived as norms concerning romantic relationships in Swedish society. Study III thus shows that these early adults, who did not consider their long-term partner the most important person to them when in need of love and support, had a complex approach to relational norms, whereby they followed the norm of being in a long-term relationship while in different ways expressing distance regarding romantic relationships. To conclude, the three studies in this thesis highlight the impact of cultural context, social roles, and the individual’s everyday experiences on two of the most important aspects of identity in early adulthood – love and work. By studying individuals’ repeated narratives and accounts of their own experiences across early adulthood, we can better understand how identity is complex, continuous, and changing at this time in life.