Publisher Description

Drawing on empirical research, this book provides an innovative exploration of youth and work, showing how youth identities are connected with the dynamics of labour and value in contemporary capitalism.In the past, youth has been seen as a transition into the labour market, but today young people's identities are increasingly wrapped up in their value as workers. In this book, young people describe the meaning of work in their own words. Drawing on these narratives, the author reveals how their identities are intertwined with the dynamics of labour and value in post-Fordist capitalism and how social inequalities are manifested through the practices and ethics that young people draw upon to cultivate an economically productive self. Illuminating the rapidly changing social conditions that mould youth identities, this book represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of youth and work.

Author Biography

David Farrugia is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Table of Contents

Young People, Work and Society: New TerrainYouth in the New Economy: The Post-Fordist SelfPassionate Subjects and the Middle-Class Self at WorkSubjects of Achievement: Social Mobility, Competence and AspirationSocially Appropriate and Credentialled: The Struggle for the Working SelfConclusion: Young People in the Work SocietyMethodological Afterword

Review

"Farrugia shows how youth itself is formed through the requirement to become a worker. This book is a must-read for those interested in the changing nature of work." Dan Woodman, The University of Melbourne
"This book is a timely intervention. Its focus on the formation of distinctive subjectivities by young workers and the complex biopolitical relationship between the self, productivity and value sets a profound new direction for youth sociology." Johanna Wyn, The University of Melbourne

Long Description

Drawing on empirical research, this book provides an innovative exploration of youth and work, showing how youth identities are connected with the dynamics of labour and value in contemporary capitalism. In the past, youth has been seen as a transition into the labour market, but today young people's identities are increasingly wrapped up in their value as workers. In this book, young people describe the meaning of work in their own words. Drawing on these narratives, the author reveals how their identities are intertwined with the dynamics of labour and value in post-Fordist capitalism and how social inequalities are manifested through the practices and ethics that young people draw upon to cultivate an economically productive self. Illuminating the rapidly changing social conditions that mould youth identities, this book represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of youth and work.

Feature

Offers a conceptual innovation and a significant intervention in the traditional 'school to work transition' literature;Examines contemporary social changes impacting on youth, giving voice to young people themselves;The author is a prominent name in the sociology of youth and sociology of work;The strong, original data provides important insights about regions of high unemployment in Australia which will be relevant in an international context.

Details