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Approaches to Youth Studies and Identity

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Handbook of Children and Youth Studies

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Abstract

Identity is a key aspect of young people’s lives and a significant area examined in childhood and youth studies. This introductory chapter for this section outlines three main approaches to theorizing young people’s identity. First, it introduces the psychological approach that focuses on individual and developmental aspects of youth identity. Second, it discusses the sociological approach that examines youth identity from a social and structural perspective. Third, it elaborates the poststructuralist approach that emphasizes how discourse, power and intersectionality inform young people’s construction and performance of themselves. In assessing these approaches, this chapter also critically rehearses extant debates that have shaped this field and introduces new challenges such as the forces of globalization and digital transformation that are reshaping what it means to be a young person today. As the media has become the central arena in everyday life, work and play, especially for young people, this chapter also emphasizes the role of the media in youth identity formation. It concludes by situating this section’s chapters within these approaches (especially poststructuralism) and their implications for future research.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communications & New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Audrey Yue

  2. University of Southampton, Southampton Education School, Southampton, UK

    Elizer Jay de los Reyes

Authors
  1. Audrey Yue
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  2. Elizer Jay de los Reyes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Audrey Yue .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Johanna Wyn

  2. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Helen Cahill

  3. University of Melbourne, South Yarra, VIC, Australia

    Hernan Cuervo

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Yue, A., de los Reyes, E.J. (2024). Approaches to Youth Studies and Identity. In: Wyn, J., Cahill, H., Cuervo, H. (eds) Handbook of Children and Youth Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-96-3_121-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-96-3_121-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-4451-96-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-4451-96-3

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