Confronting Youth In Europe

5.8 The Crown Court

This book, which has been created in the framework of the EU-funded COST Action YOUNG-IN (CA17114), sheds a light on the structural disadvantages and opportunities in family formation among youth, offering an insight into the relevant contextual factors in eleven countries. Analyzing demographic trends and socioeconomic settings, including normative and institutional frameworks (that focus on family policies), the authors have identified and presented the peculiarities of the transition to parenthood, as well as common challenges that young people face in that process. Endorsements: "Gathering rich and novel information from 11 European countries that have been so far neglected in family formation studies this volume is an enlightening reading for policy makers, social policy students and young people themselves." — Anu Toots, Tallinn University, Estonia and COST Action YOUNG-IN "This book brings together scholars from all over Europe to provide an updated account of demographic change and family formation in Europe. The book is quite impressive both in its scope and depth, and should be an essential read for those interested in the demographic challenges that our countries are facing." — Johannes Bergh, Institute for Social Research, Oslo, Norway

The demise of state Socialisms caused radical social, cultural and economic changes in Eastern Europe. Since then, young people have been confronted with fundamental disruptions and transformations to their daily environment, while an unsettling, globalized world substantially reshapes local belongings and conventional values. In times of multiple instabilities and uncertainties, this volume argues, young people prefer to try to adjust to given circumstances than to adopt the behaviour of potential rebellious, adolescent role models, dissident counter-cultures or artistic breakings of taboo. Eastern European Youth Cultures in a Global Context takes this situation as a starting point for an examination of generational change, cultural belongings, political activism and everyday practices of young people in different Eastern European countries from an interdisciplinary perspective. It argues that the conditions of global change not only call for a differentiated evaluation of youth cultures, but also for a revision of our understanding of 'youth' itself – in Eastern Europe and beyond.

This book promotes a radical alternative impact on youth policy in Europe to overcome the situation of vulnerability and discrimination of a growing number of youngsters in their transition from school to work. It follows a Human Development perspective in using the Capability Approach (CA) as analytical and methodological guiding tool to improve the social conditions of the most socially vulnerable young people in European societies. The mission of the interdisciplinary authors is to expand the actual chances of the young to actively shape their lives in a way they have reason to choose and value. This book is based on the research of the EU Collaborative Project “Making Capabilities Work” (WorkAble), funded by the EU within the Seventh Framework Programme. It is the first empirical project to pursue a justice theory perspective on a European level. It also contributes to a fundamental change in the currently mostly insufficient attempts within the human capital approach to use the labour market to ensure desired lifestyle forms and a secure income for vulnerable youth.

This book explores the current variety of youth lifestyles and sub-cultures and their implications for youth policy and youth work. Issues discussed include: youth in the information society; non-formal education and citizenship; changing forms of participation; developing teaching methods and approaches; linking knowledge and action; and trends in European youth policies.

Young people’s participation is an urgent policy and practice concern, across countries and context. This book showcases original research evidence and analysis to consider how, under what conditions and for what purposes young people participate in different parts of Europe. Focusing on the interplay between the concepts of youth, inequality and participation, this book explores how structural changes, including economic austerity, neoliberal policies and new patterns of migration, affect the conditions of young people’s participation and its aims. With contributions from a range of subject experts, including young people themselves, the book challenges current policies and practices on young people’s participation. It asks how young people can be better supported to take part in social change and decision-making and what can be learnt from young people’s own initiatives.

Providing original insights into the factors causing early job insecurity in European countries, this book examines its short- and long-term consequences. It assesses public policies seeking to diminish the risks to young people facing prolonged job insecurity and reduce the severity of these impacts. Based on the findings of a major study across nine European countries, this book examines the diverse strategies that countries across the continent use to help young people overcome employment barriers.