Current Debates in Social Justice and Youth Studies

Abstract

This chapter brings together the disciplines of youth studies and social justice with the aim to open up a space within which it is possible to draw on different theoretical traditions and work from different places. It draws on political and social theory to outline the development of the relationship between social justice and youth in the last few decades. From a political theory approach, it states a critique of universal and neutral theories of social justice based on liberal democratic traditions that have had a tendency to construct universal and impartial criteria to identify social wrongdoings and injustices. From a sociological perspective, it analyzes current and recent debates about social transformations and their capacities to create new vulnerabilities for young people. The chapter argues for a relational approach that renders visible the social, economic, and cultural context of young people’s lives. This approach also opens up the idea of the pluralization of social justice in the field of youth studies to include claims of redistribution as well as recognition and participation and to challenge the western-centric construction of theoretical and empirical youth work. A broader and more inclusive account of cultures and ideas can only benefit those interested in understanding and addressing social inequalities.