Abstract

Career development theories and business management/human resources explanations for career change and employee turnover suggest that there are many potential influences on career change including a lack of congruence between an individual’s changing needs and their environment, the discovery of new career options previously ignored or overlooked, ineffective or harmful management practices, and organizational or life changes outside of the individual’s control. However, we do not have a comprehensive sociological understanding of how workers leverage and are influenced by their social networks when changing careers. Working from Granovetter’s theory that “weak” and “strong” network ties provide access to job leads and job information at different rates of success, this mixed-methods research aims to clarify how these different types of social connections play a role in the decision to change careers. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews and an online survey with people ages 25-60 who have changed careers within the last five years, I demonstrate how different weak and strong network ties provide: (1) job leads and job information and (2) instrumental or “hard capital” and (3) socio-emotional or “soft capital” support, including strategies for identity management. This research should help policy makers and career advisors better craft policies, practices, and educational campaigns to make career change easier for individuals.

Advisor

Sarah Epplen

Committee Member

Aaron Hoy

Committee Member

Jacqueline Lewis

Date of Degree

2024

Language

english

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Program of Study

Sociology

Department

Sociology

College

Humanities and Social Sciences

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Sociology Commons

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Rights Statement

In Copyright