The Fragile Axes of Life: A Capability Approach Perspective towards Graduates’ Education–Job Mismatches and Subjective Well-Being

Petya Ilieva-Trichkova and Pepka Boyadjieva
Additional contact information
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Pepka Boyadjieva: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: Using the capability approach as a theoretical framework, this article aims to: (1) explore how subjective individual well-being differs among higher education graduates and especially to what extent it is associated with graduates’ vertical education–job mismatches; (2) reveal the embeddedness of the link between graduates’ vertical education–job mismatches and subjective well-being in different socio-economic contexts; and (3) outline some policy implications of the analysis undertaken. It argues that vertical education–job mismatch among graduates has an important influence on experiences of the benefits that come from higher education. By analysing micro-level data from the European Social Survey, carried out in 2012 and macro-level data for 24 European countries via descriptive statistics and multilevel regression, the study shows that education–job mismatch is associated with capability deprivation, as graduates who are vertically mismatched have less interest in what they are doing, feel less autonomous and competent, and are less confident that they are leading a meaningful life or being treated with respect by others in comparison to those graduates who are employed in jobs which correspond to their level of education. The article also provides evidence that the association between graduates’ education–job mismatches and individual subjective well-being is embedded in different socio-economic contexts.

Keywords: education–job mismatch; higher education; capability approach; subjective well-being; engagement; sense of meaning; competence; autonomy; recognition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/7/262/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/7/262/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:10:y:2021:i:7:p:262-:d:591109

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().