Research Handbook on Transitions into Adulthood

This prescient Research Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges that young people from across the globe face as they navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

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.