Abstract
Census data for 1970 point to a sharp increase in the number of adolescents who hold part-time jobs while attending school, showing, for example, a 27% employment rate for Ms aged 16 & a 16% rate for Fs of that age. To investigate the effects of work on the maintenance of family relationships, friendships, & the development of financial & other independencies, tenth- & eleventh-graders in Orange County, Calif, were asked to complete a questionnaire involving family, school, friends, peers, & work. The students also supplied data on sex, ethnicity, & SC, & characterized themselves as workers (N = 212) or nonworkers (N = 319). Working, for the adolescent, signifies less time spent with the family, although not with friends. M workers tend to discuss personal problems with fathers more than nonworkers, & F workers admit to a lack of family closeness more than F nonworkers do. Financial independence or autonomy does not truly emerge during adolescent work, as parents retain primary control over spending. 3 Tables. D. Dunseath.