Andy Furlong - Youth Studies: An Introduction

Youth Studies: an introduction is a clear, jargon-free and accessible textbook which will be invaluable in helping to explain concepts, theories and trends within youth studies. The concise summaries of key texts and the ideas of important theorists make the book an invaluable resource. The book also raises questions for discussion, with international case studies and up-to-date examples.

The book discusses important issues within youth studies, for example:

education and opportunity

employment and unemployment

family, friends and living arrangements

crime and justice

identities

health and sexuality

citizenship and political engagement.

Suitable for a wide range of youth-related courses, this textbook provides a theoretical and empirical introduction to youth studies. It will appeal to undergraduate students on international academic and vocational courses, including sociology, politics, criminology, social policy, geography and psychology.

Andy Furlong is Professor of Social Inclusion and Education in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Andy is an educational sociologist with a long-standing specialism in the study of youth and a strong interest in the reproduction of inequalities and in processes of social change. Since 1998 he has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Youth Studies, and his books on youth include Young People and Social Change (with Fred Cartmel, 1997, 2nd edition 2007, Open University Press), Higher Education and Social Justice (with Fred Cartmel, 2009, Open University Press) and the Handbook of Youth and Young Adulthood (2009, Routledge).

Andy Furlong has written an authoritative introduction to youth studies. The focus throughout is on the momentous changes that are currently affecting young people throughout the world. Students and lecturers will welcome the even-handed, lucid accounts of the main sociological and psychological perspectives, and the comprehensive coverage. The book deals with all aspects of young peoples lives family, education, labour market, health, leisure, crime and politics and is sensitive to differences among present-day countries.

Andy Furlong has provided an excellent overview of the key debates in youth studies in a concise and clear way, introducing students to the major themes and issues they should be aware of in their studies. It is a book that is long overdue.

A book of this nature is long overdue. Professor Furlong has used his extensive knowledge of the field to produce a highly readable, informative and challenging text. Anyone who is looking for a comprehensive overview of the key issues in youth studies should read this book.

Furlong provides the most comprehensive introduction yet through the historical antecedents and contemporary strands of youth studies. Those new to the field will gain a depth of understanding from Furlongs effortless summary of the concepts, theories and issues that shape youth studies. The identification of contemporary examples and policy implications keeps the text grounded. Furlongs analysis defines this enduring but fragmented field in a way that the experienced will find enlightening and compelling.

First published 2013 by Routledge
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2013 Andy Furlong

The right of Andy Furlong to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Furlong, Andy.

Youth studies: an introduction/Andy Furlong.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. YouthStudy and teaching. 2. YouthResearch. I. Title.

HQ793.F87 2013

305.235071dc23

2012010623

ISBN: 978-0-415-56476-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-56479-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-86209-4 (ebk)

Typeset in Scala by
Sunrise Setting Ltd, Paignton, UK

Andy Furlong is Professor of Social Inclusion and Education in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Andy is an educational sociologist with a long-standing specialism in the study of youth and a strong interest in the reproduction of inequalities and in processes of social change. He completed his PhD on youth transitions and unemployment in the 1980s and has since worked on a wide variety of youth-oriented research projects. Since 1998 Andy has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Youth Studies, one of the leading journals in the field. He has produced several books on youth, notably Young People and Social Change (with Fred Cartmel, 1997, 2nd edition 2007, Open University Press), Higher Education and Social Justice (with Fred Cartmel, 2009, Open University Press) and the Handbook of Youth and Young Adulthood (2009, Routledge); his work has been translated into 12 languages. Andy has held visiting positions at Deakin University, the University of Melbourne and Monash University, and has held an invitation fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He is an academician of the UK Academy of Social Sciences and has recently been awarded a Doctor of Letters by the University of Leicester. An up-to-date listing of activities and publications can be found at http://andyfurlong.com/.

I would like to thank the following friends and colleagues for commenting on various aspects of this book or supplying me with references and materials: Fred Cartmel, Rob MacDonald, Tracy Shildrick, Howard Sercombe and Howard Williamson. Some of the material used in is drawn from a report Evaluating Youth Work with Vulnerable Young People written with colleagues Fred Cartmel, Janet Powney and Stuart Hall; their contribution is acknowledged.