Youth

Thisaccessiblebooktakesafreshandoriginalapproachtotheconceptofyouth,placingchangesinthesocialconstructionof‘youth’withinamoregeneralstoryoftheriseandfallofgrandtheoryinsocialscience.GillJonesevaluatesthecurrentrelevanceofthesewidersocialtheoriestounderstandingyouthinlatemodernityinthelightofkeyexamplesofempiricalworkonyoungpeople.Individualchaptersareorganizedaroundthethemesofaction,identity,transition,inequalityanddependence–conceptualthemeswhichcross–cutyoungpeople’slives.Thebookconsidersthevalidityofyouthasasocialconceptandexamineswaysofidentifyingwhatisspecifictoyoungpeoplewithoutresortingtoseeingthemasahomogeneousgroupdefinedbytheirage;insodoing,ituncoversnotionswhichareerroneouslyattributedtoyoungpeople.Youthrepresentsathought–provokingchallengetoanewgenerationofsocialsciencestudents,youthresearchersandpractitionerstodistancethemselvesfromthepolitically–andemotively–chargedissueofyouthincontemporarysocietyandmovefurthertowardsre–theorizingtheconceptofyouthinwayswhicharerelevanttoyoungpeople’slivestoday.