Springtide Research Institute has published the report, “Making Sense of Vocation: How Young People Today Define and Discern Their Life’s Purpose.” Commissioned by Christian Brothers Conference, Springtide surveyed more than 3,500 young people ages 13-25 in the U.S., as well as a sample of students from Lasallian Catholic high schools.
Researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with 35 young people to determine how they define vocation, to understand their discernment process, and to discover the language they use to describe their life’s purpose.
Eight key findings included:
- Most young people already have some sense of their life’s purpose.
- Young people link purpose to relationships with others.
- A sense of purpose emerges at the intersection of young people’s talents, interests, relationships, and contribution.
- Personal experiences strongly shape how young people imagine their future.
- Educators play a distinct role in vocational discernment.
- Financial and social pressures shape possibility.
- Religion can make thinking about the future feel more hopeful.
- Young people rarely use the word “vocation.”
The report suggests what teachers, mentors and organizational leaders can do to help young people gradually develop a sense of vocation by asking questions or naming observed patterns: Treat experiences as data, move young people away from evaluation, and reflect what you see before offering direction.
When choosing language to invite vocational reflection, research showed that educators “can support discernment by choosing words that prompt curiosity and minimize the pressure to gain absolute clarity before taking a next step.”
Ultimately, the study offers a more complete picture of how young people understand, experience and speak about vocation. The report closes with the hope that “these insights support educators, mentors, and other trusted adults as they accompany young people in making sense of vocation.”