Research Reports
Read the Life Patterns research projects, dating back to 2001.
2025
It’s complicated: How family background and school characteristics affect levels of connectedness to school by Jenny Chesters, Annie Gowing, Stanley Koh, Mindy MacLeod and Alison Childs.
Career decision making of working-class young people: a longitudinal perspective by Kristy Muratore, Quentin Maire and Jun Fu.
What do young people say about their education? Voices of school leavers in Australia by Jun Fu, Julia Cook and Johanna Wyn.
Thinking outside the square: Strategies for becoming a homeowner during the affordability crisis by Jenny Chesters and Julia Cook.
"Just trying to get by": Australian young adults' experiences of the cost-of-living crisis by Jun Fu, Julia Cook, Maddison Sideris, Dan Woodman and Johanna Wyn.
2024
Being a young person in Australia today: The experiences and hopes of young Australians at the end of high school by Dan Woodman, Quentin Maire, Julia Cook, Jun Fu and Rachel Brooks.
Trends in Education aspirations for post-school study: Comparing Year 11 students in 2005 and 2022 by Jenny Chesters and Johanna Wyn.
The Secrets to a Happy Life by Jun Fu and Quentin Maire.
2023
Reflections on living through the pandemic: Young adult Australians' experiences of the social and economic changes of 2020-2022 by Lisa Bass, Jenny Chesters and Quentin Maire.
Preparing for an unpredictable tomorrow: Concerns that Australian parents hold for their children’s futures by Ran An, Jenny Chesters and Quentin Maire.
Just coping or flourishing: How the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated inequalities in Australia by Jenny Chesters.
Who is looking after the children? Parents’ attitudes to childcare by Yinan Zhao, Quentin Maire, Jenny Chesters and Johanna Wyn.
Should I or Shouldn’t I? Year 11 students’ intentions for post-school study by Eric Fu and Jenny Chesters.
Gen Y: managing the present and making sense of the future by Julia Cook, Helen Cahill, Johanna Wyn and Eric Fu.
Too young to vote but not too young to care: Year 11 students’ wellbeing and political voice by Quentin Maire, Nadishka Weerasuriya and Jenny Chesters.
2022
Resources mobilised by Gen Y in a time of COVID by Eric Fu, Johanna Wyn and Helen Cahill.
Relationships: Disrupted, challenged, reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic by Jenny Chesters and Johanna Wyn.
Negotiating adulthood in the 21st century: The impact of precarious work on the identity, autonomy and satisfaction of young Australians by Jenny Chesters and Hernán Cuervo.
Climate change and COVID-19: The views of two generations on the most important issues in Australia by Quentin Maire, Eric Fu and Jenny Chesters.
An analysis of the labour, financial and social impact of COVID-19 in young adults’ lives by Hernán Cuervo, Quentin Maire, Julia Cook and Johanna Wyn.
2021
Young adults' perceptions of the future of work: Examining their education and employment plans by Brendan Churchill and Hernán Cuervo.
Young Australians' confidence in political institutions and their civic engagement by Eric Fu, Johanna Wyn and Brendan Churchill.
Life satisfaction during the 2020 pandemic in Australia by Jenny Chesters.
2020
Life satisfaction in young adulthood by Andres Molina and Jenny Chesters.
Young adults’ confidence in Australian institutions by Jenny Chesters and Johanna Wyn.
2019
Parenting in the twenty-first century: Preparing the next generation of Australians for an uncertain future by Eric Fu, Jenny Chesters and Hernán Cuervo.
2018
Learning across the life course by Jenny Chesters, Eric Fu,Hernán Cuervo and Johanna Wyn.
A longitudinal analysis of residential mobility from 1991 to 2017: Understanding generational patterns and inter-relationships by Julia Cook and Hernán Cuervo.
Examining the most important issues in Australia: Similarities and differences across two generations by Jenny Chesters, Julia Cook, Hernán Cuervo and Johanna Wyn.
2017
Gen Y on Gen Y by Johanna Wyn, Helen Cahill, Dan Woodman, Hernán Cuervo, Jenny Chesters, Julia Cook and Josie Reade.
2016
Life Patterns: comparing the generations by Jessica Crofts, Hernán Cuervo, Johanna Wyn, Dan Woodman, Josie Reade, Helen Cahill and Andy Furlong.
2015
Ten years following Generation Y by Jessica Crofts, Hernán Cuervo, Johanna Wyn, Graeme Smith and Dan Woodman.
2013
Generational insights into new labour market landscapes for youth by Hernán Cuervo, Jessica Crofts and Johanna Wyn.
2012
Gen X women and the gender revolution: Pioneers or traditionalists by Hernán Cuervo, Johanna Wyn and Jessica Crofts.
2011
Rethinking youth transitions in Australia: A historical and multidimensional approach by Hernán Cuervo and Johanna Wyn.
2010
Young people negotiating risk and opportunity: Post-school transitions 2005-2009 by Johanna Wyn, Hernán Cuervo, Graeme Smith and Dan Woodman.
2008
Generations and social change: Negotiating adulthood in the 21st century by Johanna Wyn, Graeme Smith, Helen Stokes, Debra Tyler and Dan Woodman.
2005
Immigrants in time: Life Patterns 2004 by Peter Dwyer, Graeme Smith, Debra Tyler and Johanna Wyn.
2003
Life Patterns, career outcomes and adult choices by Peter Dwyer, Graeme Smith, Debra Tyler and Johanna Wyn.
2001
Journeying through the Nineties. The Life Patterns Project 1991-2000 by Peter Dwyer, Debra Tyler and Johanna Wyn.