'The series Youth: Perspectives and Practice provides a distinctive combination of expert commentary, new research, original theorising and critical reflection on how we should understand youth and work with young people. These books deserve a wide readership....the way they are written and organised will make them particularly appealing to students.'

Professor Robert MacDonald, University of Teesside

'I have found that these books have enlightened and further developed my understanding of young people and are an excellent point of reference to support my work in this field.'

Carolyn Moore, Youth Worker

Young people's lives have changed in dramatic ways in recent years. Important transformations have taken place in the social structures and processes shaping young lives, including education, the loss of the traditional youth labour market, and shifts in the nature of family and intimate relationships.

Understanding Youth: Perspectives, Identities and Practices engages with these changing experiences. By drawing on recent research and the insights of young people the book provides a clear and comprehensive overview of youth in late modernity.

" Part 1 Perspectives presents three different ways of conceptualising and understanding youth.

" Part 2 Identities considers issues of self and identity.

" Part 3 Practices explores the everyday practices that give shape to young people's lives.

The book adopts an interdisciplinary approach and presents complex issues in an accessible and interactive way. It will be essential reading for students on courses in youth work, youth studies, education, social work and social policy, and for professionals working with young people in a wide range of settings. Together with its companion volume, Youth in Context: Frameworks, Settings and Encounters, it is a core text for The Open University's third level undergraduate course Youth: Perspectives and Practice (KE308).

Mary Jane Kehily is Senior Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies at The Open University.

Introduction
PERSPECTIVES
A Cultural Perspective - Mary Jane Kehily
A Comparative Perspective - Heather Montgomery
A Biographical Perspective - Rachel Thomson
IDENTITIES
Gender - Martin Robb
Belonging - Rachel Thomson
Well-being - Martin Robb
PRACTICES
Working - Rachel Thomson
Playing - Mary Jane Kehily
Moving - Heather Montgomery
Relating - Martin Robb
Conclusion