Social and cultural consequences of over-education

Abstract

Starting from an operational definition of over-education, we have classified its consequences for the Spanish population into three categories: professional or organizational, private and socio-political consequences. Generally speaking, over-education does not have very marked consequences on the above mentioned fields (areas), but it seems to compensate itself in different ways. In the professional area, it mainly influences the hope of promotion; in the private field, it makes over-educated people take a more active part in leisure (free time) activities and hobbies. It is in the public field where dissatisfaction is more noticeable: over-socialized people are ideologically more radical and more politicized than the rest of the population.