ABSTRACT
When adolescents reach the age of 15 or 16, the question of what kind of work they will do in the future becomes increasingly important. The world of work, as it were, "has reared its ugly head." Adolescents aspire to adult roles, and earning money, if not actually a living, becomes an important goal. Much has been written about the value of work to the human being (see, for example, Neff, 1968; Hall, 1986; Black, 1988; Munich & Glinberg, 1988). It is sufficient to point out that in our culture, in addition to filling economic need, one's work is an identifier: It defines the role one plays in society. Work provides self-esteem as well as the esteem of others. We believe in the philosophy that "useful work and occupational self-sufficiency are important goals in life, that work not only facilitates emotional stability, but is also a source of happiness and satisfaction" (Hartmann et al., 1968, 178). For disabled persons work also represents another pattern of "normalization"; "it is a fundamental activity in a person's testing and strengthening of his sanity" (Munich & Glinberg, 1988,121).
