eprintid: 10086278 rev_number: 26 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/10/08/62/78 datestamp: 2019-11-19 14:15:09 lastmod: 2021-10-14 23:05:31 status_changed: 2019-11-19 14:15:09 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Lőrinc, M creators_name: Ryan, L creators_name: D’Angelo, A creators_name: Kaye, N title: De-individualising the ‘NEET problem’: An ecological systems analysis ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: B16 divisions: B14 divisions: J81 keywords: NEET young people, low attainment, youth transitions, ecological systems theory, socio-economic disadvantage note: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. abstract: Periods of being NEET (not in education, employment or training) can have long-term consequences for individuals’ future job opportunities, earnings, psycho-social well-being and health, all with high societal costs. Therefore, policy-makers across Europe seek interventions that successfully reduce NEET numbers. Drawing on a longitudinal qualitative study in London, this paper explores the processes and mechanisms that contribute to young people becoming NEET after leaving education. Through analysis of 53 young NEETs’ accounts of their school and transition experiences, we draw upon Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore the multitude of factors and structures of disadvantage that might have contributed to these young people’s marginalisation in education and employment. We discuss how unfulfilled support needs, a lack of career advice and socio-economic disadvantage can lead to educational disengagement, dropping out and, ultimately, becoming NEET. While many of these issues were presented as personal difficulties, in this article we reject the individualisation of the ‘NEET problem’. Instead, we argue that negative school experiences need to be understood in the context of structural conditions, including funding cuts in education and support services, transformations in the labour market and socio-economic deprivation. date: 2019-10-08 date_type: published official_url: https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904119880402 oa_status: green full_text_type: other language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 1719936 doi: 10.1177/1474904119880402 lyricists_name: Kaye, Neil lyricists_id: NKAYE51 actors_name: Stacey, Thomas actors_id: TSSTA20 actors_role: owner full_text_status: public publication: European Educational Research Journal citation: Lőrinc, M; Ryan, L; D’Angelo, A; Kaye, N; (2019) De-individualising the ‘NEET problem’: An ecological systems analysis. European Educational Research Journal 10.1177/1474904119880402 <https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904119880402>. Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10086278/8/Kaye%20De-individualising%20the%20%E2%80%98NEET%20problem%E2%80%99.%20An%20ecological%20systems%20analysis.%20Published.pdf