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.
Representations of Youth
Representations of Youth
The ways in which young people are represented – through images and language – can have a powerful effect on the lives of young people as well as wider society. Social scientists are keen to interrogate forms of representation (such as the mass media), as these do not always reflect, in neutral ways, the reality of people's lives. Inevitable processes of interpretation can lead to distortion or bias in modes of representation that may intentionally or unintentionally further the interests of some groups over others (Thompson, 1991). We often think of representation in terms of modern notions of the mass media and how advertising, television, magazines and cinema construct dominant or stereotypical images of young people. However, one can ...
