Youth on the move : tendencies and tensions in youth policies and practices

The book addresses one of the most urgent social problems in many countries, the uncertain schoolto- work transitions of young people. As a result, a ‘transition machinery’ has been created, consisting of various education and training measures realised by e.g. teachers and youth workers. The volume demonstrates that discourses related to youth transitions do not simply describe young adults but create them. For example, young people are expected to be active citizens who make themselves attractive to employers, and those who failin doing so may be labelled having psychological deficiencies. When failing transitions, resulting in lack of higher education or unemployment, are treated as individual’s problemsrather than rising from structural factors, the solutions are likewise individualized. The book thus underlines the importance ofanalysing power relations reflected by gender, health, social class, and ethnicity. The articles of the book combine perspectives from young people,policymakers, teachers, and youth workers in Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and England.

The book addresses one of the most urgent social problems in many countries, the uncertain school-to-work transitions of young people. As a result, a 'transition machinery' has been created, consisting of various education and training measures realised by e.g. teachers and youth workers.The volume demonstrates that discourses related to youth transitions do not simply describe young adults but create them. For example, young people are expected to be active citizens who make themselves attractive to employers, and those who fail in doing so may be labelled having psychological deficiencies. When failing transitions, resulting in lack of higher education or unemployment, are treated as individual's problems rather than rising from structural factors, the solutions are likewise individualized. The book thus underlines the importance of analysing power relations reflected by gender, health, social class, and ethnicity.The articles of the book combine perspectives from young people, policymakers, teachers, and youth workers in Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and England.

This book intends to deepen the knowledge of the extended and uncertain transitions from school to work and to higher education by analysing the perspectives of youths and young adults and by addressing policies and institutional practices. The book critically examines the 'transition machinery' consisting of various education and training measures, projects and schemes, provided by educational institutions, the EU, ministries, municipalities and non-governmental organisations. Treating lack of education and unemployment mainly as individual problems, personal deficiencies or identity issues, the solutions are likewise individualised. The book illustrates how youth transitions are intertwined with social structures, power relations and differences Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Introduction PART I: Young People’s Trajectories and Agency Chapter 1. Young Citizenship Chapter 2. Social Background and Labour Market Chapter 3. Transition from School to Work Chapter 4. Winding Paths through School and After Chapter 5. ‘Learn Skills and Get Employed’ PART II: Young People’s Transitions-Policies and New Forms of Governing Chapter 6. Young People and Transitions in Upper Secondary Education in England Chapter 7. Economic Worries—Therapeutic Solutions? Chapter 8. Ethical and Care-Oriented, but Still Psychological and ‘At Risk’ Epilogue: Silences and Challenges Contributors Index