Summary
Contents
What is youth? How do we understand youth in its social and cultural context?In this timely and sought-after title, Cieslik and Simpson provide a concise and readily accessible introduction to the interdisciplinary field of youth studies. Drawing upon the latest research and developments in the field, as well as discussing the fundamental ideas underlying the disciplines as a whole, it offers a comprehensive yet unpacked understanding of youth as a social phenomenon. Illuminating the many abstract and contested concepts within youth studies, this book offers explanations to questions such as: • How might we define youth? • How can we understand young people in relation to their social identities and practices? • What is the relationship between youth and social class? • How do youth cultures develop? • How can we understand youth in a globalized perspective? Key Concepts in Youth Studies stands out as a natural companion for students on youth studies, sociology, criminology and social science programmes. It will also be useful for youth practitioners such as social workers and teachers. Key Concepts in Youth Studies stands out as a natural companion for students on youth studies, sociology, criminology and social science programmes. It will also be useful for practitioners in area of social work and youth and community development.
Theorising Youth
Theorising Youth
A well-known television manufacturer in 2005 used the spectacle of millions of small coloured balls bouncing down the famous hills of San Francisco as a means of advertising its wares (Sony Bravia, 2005). Such an awe-inspiring sight serves as a wonderful metaphor for the complexity of life – each of us like a single ball bouncing into so many others. The difficulty we face as social scientists is trying to make sense of this complexity. The theories we use in youth studies therefore emerge out of this need to make very complex empirical social processes amenable to investigation. Theories can take many different forms. They can be models of reality that abstract from much of the detail of everyday life, explaining the ...
