Synopses & Reviews
This book explores the challenge of making a life: finding meaning, livelihood and social connectedness. Drawing on research with young people, the analysis goes beyond traditional treatment of youth issues or problems, providing discussion of topics like young peoples learning and work, their creativity, wellbeing and active citizenship.
Synopsis
Against a backdrop of social inequalities and rapid social change, this book develops a useful way of thinking about contemporary young people's issues. Following a group of young people for 12 years, Ani Wierenga's longitudinal study uncovers insider insights and examines what helps them to establish meaning, livelihood and connectedness. It shows how their lives are shaped by their context, but also how they come to access the resources they need (or not), the importance of trust relationships, and the vital role of individual and shared stories. The book provides an integrated discussion of topics including young people's learning and work, their creativity, their wellbeing and their active citizenship.
About the Author
ANI WIERENGA is a Research Fellow at the Australian Youth Research Centre, the University of Melbourne, Australia. As a youth-worker and sociologist, she is interested in understanding the social conditions which support young lives in a time of rapid social change, in strengthening connections between young people and their communities, and exploring the power of story.
Table of Contents
Foreword by
Rob WhiteIntroduction
Growing Up: Global, Local, Rural
Making a Life in Myrtle Vale
Storying: Towards an Interpretive Framework
Negotiating Changes
Practices of Engagement
Resources
Resource Flows
Familiar Patterns and Transformations
Implications and Interventions
Research and Theory as Grounded Social Practice
References