Jenny Chesters – författare

An international collective of expert scholars takes stock of the changing social, political, and economic contexts that have exacerbated the difficulties experienced by young people as they leave education and embark on their journey to financial and emotional independence. Exploring both the Global North and South, chapters examine the manifold complexities of the transition to adulthood, covering youth policies and participation, mobility and belonging, life course and intergenerational relations, gendered transitions, youth precariousness and marginalisation, youth cultures, and health and wellbeing. The Research Handbook ultimately concludes that linear pathways from full-time education to full-time employment have become increasingly rare as rapidly evolving educational and labour market contexts continue to disrupt traditional views of adulthood.

Engaging with contemporary theoretical debates on transitions into adulthood, this erudite Research Handbook will be an essential reference for advanced students and scholars of youth studies, life courses, education policy, geographical mobilities, and the sociology of work. Its examination of how government policies determine how economic circumstances impact young people will also benefit policymakers.

This book investigates the life trajectories of Generation X and Y Australians through the 1990s and 2000s. The book defies popular characterizations of members of the ‘precarious generations’ as greedy, narcissistic and self-obsessed, revealing instead that many of the members of these generations struggle to reach the standard of living enjoyed by their parents, value learning highly and are increasingly concerned about the environment and the legacy current generations are leaving for their children and remain optimistic in the face of considerable challenges.

Drawing on data from the Life Patterns longitudinal study of Australian youth (an internationally recognized study), the book tells the story of members of these ‘precarious generations’. It examines significant dimensions of young people’s lives across time, comparing how domains such as health and well-being, education, work and relationships intersect to produce the complex outcomes that characterize the lives of members of each of these generations. It also explores the strategies these generations use to make their lives and the ways in which they remain resilient. While the book is based on Australian data, the analysis draws on and contributes to the international literature on young people and social change.