Rallying Europe: young women and men searching for a life and a future

Abstract

ABSTRACT The turmoil of the mid-twentieth century saw young people mobilized for action across Europe in an unprecedented manner. Concurrently, against the backdrop of the struggle between democratic and authoritarian projects, war and fragile peace, young people increasingly became a target of state legislation, (mass) organizations and other institutions. From the end of the First World War to the aftermath of the Second World War, Europe witnessed fundamental changes in the social regimes that determined societal power distribution. This special issue approaches the first half of the twentieth century through the lens of age and gender as interdependent categories of analysis. In doing so, the authors reveal how adult perceptions of youth and gender framed young men and women’s lives, as well as their roles in society. Vice versa, the authors explore how these perceptions collided with youth agency, probing the specific age – and gender-related dynamics of empowerment and organization. By zooming in on the concrete young actors and the institutional settings that limited their scope of action, processes of wayward appropriations will be contrasted with institutionalized attempts to control and lead ‘the young’. As such, the authors contribute to a global academic discussion on age, gender, the lifecycle and intersectionality.