This book reflects on ways that marginalized youth make sense of their lives under conditions of inequality, violence and exclusion. It includes six powerful counter-narratives from South Africa, Jamaica and Italy that challenge dominant portrayals of youth as dangerous, passive or voiceless. Through these stories, readers encounter critique of systemic violence and expressions of resilience, creativity and agency. The project emerged from a commitment to listen to youth voices. Their stories, told in English, Nigerian Pidgin, Jamaican, Afrikaans and Kaaps, challenge assumptions about crime, migration, imprisonment and social disorder. Young people reclaim narrative power and assert their rights in contexts shaped by colonial legacies, racialized capitalism and restrictive migration regimes. With its transnational focus, the volume appeals to scholars and students in sociology, sociolinguistics, cultural studies, anthropology, youth studies, migration studies and human rights, but also to educators, practitioners, policy makers and activists working with vulnerable communities. It provides a compelling resource to understand and resist the structural forces that marginalize youth globally.
