Youth and youth research in Britain (and elsewhere), 1960s–2020s

This paper starts with a sketch of youth research in Britain in the 1960s. It then examines how a rise in youth unemployment in the 1970s elevated the education-to-work transition into the lead issue in youth research. Failed attempts to solve youth unemployment led to the expansion of some old and the creation of some new routes through post-compulsory education and training. This extended the youth stage upwards. The paper then moves from recording to advocacy of an origins > routes > destinations transitions paradigm, which can be applied across time and place, to the pivotal life stage transitions from education-to-work, and in family relationships and housing. The conclusions include worries and hopes about the futures of the youth of the 2020s and the future of youth research.