In this groundbreaking Research Handbook on the Sociology of Youth, researchers from the Global North and South examine the social, political, cultural and ecological processes that inform what it means to be young. It explores the diversity of youth experiences and ways young people live their lives, responding to and actively working to overcome inequality, adversity and planetary crises.

Presenting original contributions from the key experts in the field, the Research Handbook on the Sociology of Education explores the major theoretical, methodological, empirical and political challenges and pressing social questions facing education in current times.

In this groundbreaking Research Handbook on the Sociology of Youth, researchers from around the world examine the social, political, cultural and ecological processes that shape young people's lives and how young people in turn shape the world. Contributors from the Global North and South challenge traditional frameworks as they document the diversity of ways young people now live. The Handbook highlights the active and creative responses of young people as they help shape the world and how they work to overcome inequality, adversity and crisis and aspire to flourishing societies and a healthy planetary future. This innovative Research Handbook offers reflective, critical and accessible analyses of contemporary youth sociology as well as insights into how policy-makers and professionals can apply these research findings to their practice. The Handbook highlights the diversity of theoretical, methodological and conceptual approaches now available reflecting how the field has become increasingly dynamic and ontologically open. The Handbook includes commentaries by young people from across the world and demonstrates how young people are already involved in and are attempting to address the significant issues of our time like climate justice, racism, socio-economic inequalities, forced migration, LGBTQI+ identities, disability, mental health, and violence. In presenting this breadth of new work on the sociology of youth, this groundbreaking Research Handbook offers a major new resource for researchers, teachers, policy-makers, practitioners and students alike.

What is youth? How do we understand youth in its social and cultural context? Mark Cieslik and Donald Simpson here provide a concise and readily accessible introduction to the interdisciplinary field of youth studies. Drawing upon the latest research and developments in the field, as well as discussing the fundamental ideas underlying the discipline as a whole, it offers a comprehensive yet unpacked understanding of youth as a social phenomenon. Illuminating the many abstract and contested concepts within youth studies, the book offers explanations to questions such as: How might we define youth? How can we understand young people in relation to their social identities and practices? What is the relationship between youth and social class? How do youth cultures develop? How can we understand youth in a globalized perspective? Key Concepts in Youth Studies stands out as a natural companion for students on youth studies, sociology, criminology and social science programmes. It will also be useful for youth practitioners such as social workers and teachers.

Child soldiers remain poorly understood and inadequately protected, despite significant media attention and many policy initiatives. This Research Handbook aims to redress this troubling gap. It offers a reflective, fresh and nuanced review of the complex issue of child soldiering. The Handbook brings together scholars from six continents, diverse experiences, and a broad range of disciplines. Along the way, it unpacks the life-cycle of youth and militarization: from recruitment to demobilization to return to civilian life. The overarching aim of the Handbook is to render the invisible visible – the contributions map the unmapped and chart new directions. Challenging prevailing assumptions and conceptions, the Research Handbook on Child Soldiers focuses on adversity but also capacity: emphasising the resilience, humanity, and potentiality of children affected (rather than ‘afflicted’) by armed conflict.

This extensive Research Handbook surveys historical and contemporary patterns within research on the sociology of gender. It clarifies key definitions and examines influential factors such as race, age, and occupation.