ISSN:
1613-8953
Content:
Most young people in the UK make relatively "successful", unproblematic transitions from school to work and adulthood. What do we call those that not do? Labels imply explanation, not just description. Terms with academic and policy currency tend to define such young people by something they are not or by their presumed social and economic distance and dislocation from "the rest". How we might best describe, explain and label the experience and problem of so-called "socially excluded", "disconnected youth" is the focus of the paper. It draws upon extensice qualitative research with young adults growing up in some of Britainś poorest neighbourhoods, looking particulary at their labor market transition. Some of the problems and inaccuracies of underclass theory and orthodox conceptualisations of social exclusion are discussed in the light of empirical findings. Following CW Mills, the youthful biographies descriebed are set in a wider panorama of social structure and economic opportunity, particulary the rapid de-industrialisation of the locality studied. Understanding these historical processes of socio-economic change leads to the conclusion that, in short hand, "the economically marginal" is the best descriptive label of research participants and "economic marginalisation" in the best explanation of their condition.
Note:
Literaturverz. S. 13-16
In:
Social work & society, Essen : Univ. Duisburg-Essen, Inst. für Soziale Arbeit und Sozialpolitik, 2003, 6(2008), 2, Seite 16, 1613-8953
In:
volume:6
In:
year:2008
In:
number:2
In:
pages:16
Language:
German
Keywords:
Jugend
;
Ausgrenzung
;
Wirtschaft
;
Arbeitsmarkt
;
Großbritannien
