Youth research imagination: carving space for alternative knowing

This article advances the discussion on the nature and potential uniqueness of youth research knowledge by foregrounding youth-centred epistemologies. We argue for the intrinsic value of knowledge about young people’s thoughts, experiences, and everyday lives, distancing ourselves from the structure – agency dichotomy often debated in youth research. Instead, we conceptualise youth-centred knowledge as deeply entangled with the socio-political structures shaping young lives. Drawing on feminist epistemological perspectives, we introduce the notion of alternative knowing to highlight the transformative potential of youth-centred knowledge in challenging dominant truths and societal arrangements. To further this epistemic shift, we propose the concept of youth research imagination as a framework for co-creating space for alternative knowing with young people. This concept is elaborated through three interrelated dimensions: analysing societal arrangements in young people’s lives, fostering trust in research encounters, and engaging in critical self-reflection. These dimensions are illustrated with empirical insights from the ongoing study, which explores young people’s perspectives on the so-called youth mental health crisis. Drawing on discussions with 134 young people aged 15–34 across Finland, we reflect on the methodological and epistemological implications of youth research imagination for the field.