What does wellbeing do? An approach to defamiliarize keywords in youth studies

Wellbeing has become a keyword in youth and social policy, a construct deployed as a measure of a good life. Often associated with physical and mental health, wellbeing encompasses numerous indicators, from subjective experiences of happiness and satisfaction to markers of economic prosperity and basic human needs of security. This article examines wellbeing as an organizing concept in discourses on young people and argues for defamiliarizing its truth claims and cultural authority by investigating what wellbeing does. We begin by examining the rise of wellbeing, drawing attention to its conceptual muddiness and ambiguity. Framed by the Foucauldian notion of problematization, the analysis proceeds along two routes: first, through an historical consideration of wellbeing as a relational concept with antecedents, focusing on ‘self-esteem’; and second, through a reading of wellbeing in contemporary educational policy. Informed by Somers' historical sociology of concept formation and Bacchi's critical policy analysis, we illuminate the mixed dimensions of wellbeing's reach, placing it within longer traditions of youth studies and psy-knowledges and showing its transformative promise as well as its individualizing effects. In doing so, we elaborate a methodological approach that can be adapted to examine other keywords in youth studies and social policy discourse.     

Migration aspirations of European youth in times of crisis

In recent years, the European Union (EU) passed through a significant economic crisis. All across Europe, European young people are among the groups which are hit hardest, with youth unemployment rates rising to over 50% in member states such as Greece and Spain. In the classical migration literature, it is suggested that such unfavourable economic climate would make people more likely to move abroad. Whereas in press releases we are regularly confronted with stories about South European young adults with tertiary education working in bars in Northern European cities, limited empirical evidence exists as such on the relationship between the recent Euro-crisis and migration aspirations. This paper addresses this gap in the academic literature. Using data from Flash Eurobarometer 395, I investigate which micro- and macro-level characteristics influence migration aspirations of young people across the member states of the EU. The results reveal the importance of individual characteristics and feelings of discontent with the current climate in explaining migration aspirations. Furthermore, I detect a negative relationship of relative welfare levels with migration aspirations, and a positive relationship of the youth unemployment ratio. Together, the results suggest that potential young intra-EU movers are positively selected from the population.     

21世纪初广西少数民族青年发展状况调查报告

21世纪初广西少数民族人口数量增长速度大幅减缓;少数民族性别比低于汉族,但各民族人口性别比攀高并有加剧之势.在择偶要求方面,民族关系、民族观念淡化,民族内婚的传统逐渐打破;择偶标准方面,少数民族青年更注重于人品、性格,而疏于家境、收入条件等物质因素.信仰共产主义,向往民主,自由、平等,在健康基础上追求知识、道德、理想.     

近十年来中国内地焚书坑儒研究总结与问题前瞻

近十年来中国内地学界对焚书坑儒的研究取得了丰硕的成果,不仅研究方法丰富,成果数量较多,而且学术争鸣与商榷颇多。但同时也存在着创新性欠缺、重复研究以及学术不严谨、主观主义色彩浓厚的现象。今后的研究,应当将“传统”与“现代”二元对立研究的视野、方法一定程度地运用到“焚书坑儒”的研究上来,并注意“焚书坑儒”的举措与秦帝国维护...     

习近平关于青年工作重要论述的科学指引与实践要求

习近平关于青年工作重要论述既是对马克思主义青年观一脉相承的理论发展,也是结合中华民族优秀传统文化和中国青年工作的特点所形成的实践创新。通过习近平关于青年工作重要论述理论来源和基本内涵提供的科学指引,从历史维度明确了强化青年时代责任的要求是增强对中国道路、中国理论和中国制度的认同感和责任感,与时代同向同行;从现实维度明确了提升社会适应能力的要求是构建全员全程全方位的育人格局,增强意识形态建设;从青年成长个人维度明确了完善综合素质的要求是在对青年特性和社会地位正确认识的基础上激发其奋斗热情。由此形成进一步发展青年事业的实践路径,即通过筑牢意识形态防线,增强新时代青年的使命担当;优化青年人才培养和选拔模式,提高青年适应社会发展的能力;提升青年综合素质,实现人的全面发展。     

Social innovation and the autoimmunity of employability

The purpose of this article is to examine social innovation in the field of youth employment. It addresses both the shortcomings of supply-side approaches that are balanced towards issues such as employability and the impact of key demand side issues including low pay and precarity. The empirical analysis is based upon interviews with young people in employment or training with social innovations as well as interviews with senior policymakers and practitioners whose remit covers these issues. The study concludes by reflecting upon how the conduct of employability can operate as an autoimmune function.     

Building home on a fault line: Aging out of child welfare with a serious mental health diagnosis

Youth aging out of foster care are at high risk for homelessness. This research explains how and why homelessness occurs among youth with serious mental health struggles after aging out of residential and transitional living programmes. Using a longitudinal constructivist grounded theory design, we analyse 20 in‐depth interviews exploring youth's transition experiences and perceptions of transition success within 4 months of emancipation and at 6 and 12 months postemancipation. Monthly 15‐min check‐ins prevented attrition. A three‐phase transition process was observed driven by participant desires and actions to cultivate psychological home through establishing physical home alone away from social networks. Pre‐emancipation, the promise of home was privacy and opportunity for self‐redefinition. Shortly after emancipation, home became a physical and social space to be, a valuable resource to share and a demonstration of personal transition success. However, later in the year postemancipation, maintaining physical home proves nearly impossible given the risk context. Findings speak to how and why youth aging out appear overly self‐reliant upon emancipation. Cultivating a psychological sense of home has practice implications for child welfare providers who aim to prepare youth to live independently postemancipation.     

Youth Jury Policy Deliberation: Towards a Fair and Responsible Internet

Young people aged between 12 and 17 across three major British cities — London, Leeds and Nottingham — were invited to play the role of ‘jurors’ on a case where ‘the Internet was put on trial’. The recommendations reported in this paper are intended to improve digital experience and online safety as contributions to policy. These recommendations derive from the ‘youth jurors’ policy deliberations designed to encourage young people to reflect on their digital experience and collectively develop their own problem definitions and solutions.     

抑制演化:库拉圈的社会权力

本文从迈克尔·曼“抑制演化”这一人类学命题入手,借用《老子》的某些思想与概念来解读人类学经典案例库拉。作者认为,曼由于材料不足而未能直接使用权力的四个来源解释新石器时代的“抑制演化”问题,而库拉民族志为探讨这一人类学命题提供了机会。《老子》的思想有助于我们较好地解释为何库拉宝物和名望都是“不积”的,为何库拉社会可以保持在“小邦寡民”的非文明状态。“不积”与“小邦寡民”使整个社会限制了四种社会权力的积累,有意保持在“抑制演化”的状态。以《老子》解读库拉,有可能为“抑制演化”这样的人类学经典理论提供一个独特的视角。     

Responding to Adolescent Violence in the Home – A Community Mental Health Approach

Family violence perpetrated by adults is increasingly understood as a health issue, and we argue that this pertains even more strongly to violence by adolescents. The co-dependence of the parent–child bond, lack of maturity in the adolescent, and often related issues of disability or mental illness make these young people both complex and also vulnerable. This research paper reviews the current literature relating to adolescent violence in the home, identifies known best practice, and evaluates the importance of taking a family-focused, therapeutic approach to adolescent family violence, in place of a punitive one. It describes the use of a co-design workshop to unpack gaps in service provision and develop a potential family focused model of care to address the needs both of young people who use violence, and their families. The findings indicate that an inclusive family approach is a key element in addressing adolescent violence in the home across a spectrum of behaviours and mental health care needs. The use of a coordinated, family-inclusive response through mental health care services is recommended to address the complexity of this issue, as well as to provide support both to adolescents and to their families and carers.