Beyond the ‘transitions’ metaphor

Against the backdrop of an emerging literature about significant change in family formation in late modernity, this article argues that youth studies over the last 20 years has tended to ignore the significance of family relationships to young people. It critiques the traditional youth-as-transition metaphor that dominates youth sociology, arguing that the assumptions of linear trajectories and of independence obscure the changing nature of family relationships and their significance for youth. Drawing on empirical evidence from a study of Australian youth aged 15–18, this article highlights the significance of family as a site for civic and citizenship enactments. It also highlights young people’s understandings of inter-dependence within a family context, as they contemplate the complexity of transitions in late modern life. The article concludes that it is timely to bring family back into focus in youth studies.