5,520 research outputs found
Debating Modern Masculinities: Change, Continuity, Crisis?
No full textAccording to social commentators, masculinity is in crisis as a result of profound social transformation. This kind of public discussion of the behaviours of boys and men points to a presumed need for policy intervention to act as a corrective to the apparent crisis in masculinity which presents (young) men as both at risk and also a risk to others. This is counter to recent scholarship that has documented positive changes in the performances and expression of contemporary masculinities. Such academic research has suggested that we are witnessing the emergence of more inclusive masculinities, no longer predicated on homophobia, marginalization or subordination. This edited collection critically interrogates both sets of claims, firstly deconstructing and rejecting the masculinity in crisis discourse, before engaging in an internal debate about the implications of social change upon the identities of contemporary boys and men and for the ways in which we theorise contemporary masculinities
Beyond 'NEET' and 'tidy' pathways: considering the 'missing middle' of youth transition studies
No full textJones' (2002) discussion of polarised transitions and the ‘fast and slow lanes to adulthood’ espoused by Bynner et al. (2002) are good examples of how dualistic language often permeates youth transitions discourses. This often results in transitions research concentrating on a dichotomy of experience during the youth phase. The primary purpose of this article is to develop the argument for the inclusion of detailed documentation and analysis of the transitions of intermediate groups who fall between the lines of this dualism. These young people constitute a ‘missing middle’ in relation to youth studies and UK educational policy. To support this argument, the paper turns to the results of a qualitative study of 18–24-year-old, male, front-line, retail employees in the South-East of England to illustrate how some young people do not find themselves neatly situated on one side of such categorical cleavages. These young men are following neither a NEET (not in education, employment or training) pathway nor a ‘tidy’, government preferred, route through post-compulsory education. Thus, studying such seemingly ordinary young people can contribute towards developing a more holistic understanding of youth in the contemporary period
Traditional practice for non-traditional students? Examining the role of pedagogy in higher education retention
No full textThe current agenda for widening participation (WP) promotes equal access to higher education (HE), yet it also implicitly requires institutions to develop support strategies to ensure a successful learning experience and good retention for different groups of students. The objective of this article is predominantly reflected in the latter goal and considers student retention, rather than recruitment. Specifically, it focuses on whether non-traditional students' experiences of teaching environments could potentially contribute to 'drop-out', ultimately enhancing our understanding of what role pedagogy might play in WP retention strategies. Using a qualitative framework, the views of a group of non-traditional students are presented, focusing specifically on their experience of teaching provision, and the extent to which it matched their expectations of HE. Consideration is then paid to the students' views to garner an account of solutions they deem to be essential in tackling negative experiences and subsequent attrition. The present project should have wider appeal for those interested in understanding how student-centred research can help deal with the challenges faced by WP students. © 2011 UCU
Gaining skills or just paying the bills?: workplace learning in the lower reaches of the retail sector
No full textThis paper analyses the workplace learning experiences of young male retail employees. Deeming formal education highly unattractive, the pursuit of lifelong learning and continuous development for such people relies on workplace learning. Their experiences, however, over several years and across various retailers painted a grim reality. Sector-level accreditation (at National Vocational Qualification level 2) was characterised as stigmatising and indicative of deficiency to prospective employers. These qualifications, indeed all formal in-house training, were positioned as lacking in quality, inauthentic and an unnecessary cost for employers and government. Effective learning was, instead, experiential and situated, with (limited) expertise cumulatively developed through doing the job. The paper moves beyond valuable, yet well rehearsed, arguments regarding which groups get access to training opportunities and a focus on upskilling those who are least qualified. Instead, this investigation asks whether current workplace learning provision in retail can provide genuine opportunities for advancement and development for ‘moderately qualified’ young people employed in the lower levels of the labour market – a section of society whose learning experiences and needs are often overshadowed by a polarised focus between Not in education, employment or trainings, and those undertaking apprenticeships or HE
Misrepresenting choice biographies? A reply to Woodman
No full textThis paper provides a reply to Woodman's (2009) recent argument that youth studies often incorrectly attribute the concept of 'choice biographies' to the work of Ulrich Beck. Drawing heavily on Beck's own words, this paper contends that youth researchers might not be making this association unduly. Consideration is paid to some conceptual issues outlined by Will Atkinson, which Woodman has not appeared to consider, that challenge Beck's rejection of the relevance of structural analysis. Further, a review of some empirical evidence countering Beck's theory of 'individualization' suggests that 'middle-ground' positions in youth sociology can arguably be justified. Finally, it is proposed that Woodman's defence of Beck is partly a reflection of an alignment of focus between Beck's theoretical repertoire and Woodman's preferred method for understanding the youth period - the concept of generation
Class Inequality in Austerity Britain: Power, Difference and Suffering
No full textWhen the Coalition Government came to power in 2010 in claimed it would deliver not just austerity, as necessary as that apparently was, but also fairness. This volume subjects this pledge to critical interrogation by exposing the interests behind the policy programme pursued and their damaging effects on class inequalities. Situated within a recognition of the longer-term rise of neoliberal politics, reflections on the status of sociology as a source of critique and current debates over the relationship between the cultural and economic dimensions of social class, the contributors cover an impressively wide range of relevant topics, from education, family policy and community to crime and consumption, shedding new light on the experience of domination in the early 21st Century
Young People and Social Policy in Europe(forthcoming)
No full textIn Europe's current economic and socio-political climate, young peoples' exposure to social risks is escalating. This edited collection provides the first in-depth analysis of youth as an important case for contemporary social policy. By combining social policy and youth studies, the book explores the effects of both the economic crisis and austerity policies on the lives of young Europeans. This timely publication focusses on two fundamental contemporary challenges for European welfare states: the changing conditions faced by young people, characterized by precarity and social exclusion; and the role of social policies and welfare sources in shaping youth transitions. Through a unique combination of comparative studies and case-studies studies conducted across Europe by leading experts, the book covers a number of policy areas relevant to youth transitions including education, labour market, housing and social security policies. This book will be essential reading for academics, policy-makers and students interested in understanding how welfare states are responding to the challenges faced by young people
"Aspirations" and Imagined Futures: The Im/possibilities for Britain's Young Working Class
No full text
- …
