1. Item C

The sociologist Steve Craine studied the lives of 39 unqualified urban school leavers, 19 males and 20 females, over a ten year period between 1980 and 1990. As a youth worker he was familiar with the area in which these young people lived and he used both his own observations and interviews in his research.

Craine looked at how these young people’s lives developed and how they made choices about what to do next. Many of the members of this group failed to secure long-term employment. They experienced regular cycles of unemployment, government schemes and work in the informal economy. Some individuals became involved in criminal activities. Only those who received appropriate support from professionals or family members were able to escape this cycle.

From Item C, examine one strength of the research.