Agency or constraint? The mutual shaping of control beliefs and working lives in East Germany after 1989

The situation in Eastern Germany after 1989 brought about a dramatic change in the opportunities for continuing the existing lifepath, and also for pursuing new life goals. In this article, interdependencies of events in the working life on the one hand and control beliefs on the other are investigated. Specifically, the question is addressed as to whether the conditions of an abrupt and sudden system change allowed for differences in these...