How Individuals Navigate Social Mobility: Changing Capacities and Opportunities in Careers Across Adulthood

Industrialization, in concert with rapid technological developments, has allowed an increasingly specialized and differentiated division of labor (Durkheim, 1893/1977). Attaining professional and specialized careers now relies on extensive education and vocational training, necessitating strong and sustained motivational commitment on the part of the individual (Heckhausen, 2005). Individuals have to manage their commitment toward these career paths taking into account available opportunities that undergo substantial changes across adulthood (Heckhausen, 1999;