Youth and Social Class

"This book is a wake-up call to the laggards in the sociology of youth still wallowing in outdated ideas that class is dead or irrelevant. Sharply weaving together a wide range of empirical studies and drawing on the latest theoretical developments, France and Roberts make it crystal clear that class is absolutely crucial for understanding the lives of young people, and indeed all people, in the UK, Australia and New Zealand." (Will Atkinson, University of Bristol, UK) "This book makes a major contribution to debates over youth and class in changing times. Using a framework that draws on rich empirical work influenced by Pierre Bourdieu, France and Roberts clearly show how social class operates in education and the labour market, but also in intersections with other inequalities. The book makes a strong case for not leaving social class behind in a preoccupation with gender or race/ethnicity questions. This book will undoubtedly stimulate further debate in the youth studies field." (Signe Ravn, University of Melbourne, Australia)

This book addresses the recent marginalisation of class theory in youth sociology. The authors argue for the importance of reinstating class analysis as central to understanding young people’s lives in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Their analysis recognises that in periods of social change, class relationships and processes can and do get reconfigured, but by drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, they show that class, while being dynamic, remains core to shaping the everyday lives of young people.

Students and scholars across a range of areas including the sociology of youth, sociology of education, social work and social policy will find this book of interest.